Not much is left in politics if hope and innocence are not part of the equation. The last few weeks have witnessed the hopes and aspirations of millions crushed under the daily theatre of political brinkmanship.

Many marched to protest against the compromised and impotent establishment, which failed to register complaints for murder.

Others landed in Islamabad to protest against the establishment that failed to investigate allegations of electoral rigging.

And then, there are those who thought that a strong and unparalleled mandate would propel the Prime Minister to rebuild Pakistan.

The political stalemate at Islamabad’s D-Chowk is not heading to a draw. Regardless of how long this match continues, those who are playing and those who are watching are all losers.

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If there was any hope left in the hearts and minds of the youth of this country, this theatre of the absurd has successfully killed it.

The youth know now what they feared before: there is no messiah to bring them deliverance, but only false gods who are slaves to their egos and ambitions.

It is hard to imagine how anyone could hope to emerge victorious from the political ashes of the D-Chowk. Mian Nawaz Sharif’s loyalists and fellow parliamentarians can’t hide their glee as they believe the tide has turned. They never feared Imran Khan or Dr. Tahirul Qadri. They only feared the mighty military.

Since the day it became evident that the 111 Brigade was not ready to scale the walls of PTV or the Foreign Office, the Leaguers and others in the Parliament have gained their confidence and voice back.

On the other end of the divide are the masses who believe they have been wronged by the civil and military elite. In Qadri and Imran Khan they saw hope for a change.

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Irrespective of the controversy about how many thousands or millions had marched, there is no doubt that tens of millions are fed-up with the status quo.

Their bodies may be resting elsewhere, but their hearts and minds are staging dharnas all across Pakistan.

As the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into a month, the protests at the D-Chowk shrank in size and effectiveness. Every day new bizarre claims were being made from the container-tops, new demands were being forwarded, and new instructions were being relayed to the protesters.

Civil disobedience, refusal to pay taxes or utility bills, money laundering, and orders to ransack public institutions exposed the shallowness of political wisdom of those who could gather thousands only to turn them into mobs.

The partisanship seeped into every facet of the society. The news media became a tool to propagate the biased narratives to cement the divisions across the nation. Some television channels became mouthpiece for the government, while others for Imran Khan.

So biased is the coverage of some news channels that one gets nauseated by the 24-7 news cycle pedaling hyperbole.

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While the political circus continues in Pakistan, the rest of the world is busy advancing to a better future.

The development gap between Pakistan and the developed world has increased significantly since the mid-70s. Some would say why compare Pakistan to the developed countries?

Fine, let’s compare Pakistan with the developing nations in Africa and Asia.

Still, we will fail to hide our precipitous slide on human development.

Bangladesh continues to develop at a faster rate than Pakistan, while it faces severe natural resource constraints.

Also read: Left behind as Asia forges ahead

Pakistan has failed to address even the basic challenges.

Malnutrition is causing severe stunting in a very large number of children in Pakistan, with Sindh being the worst. While Iran and Bangladesh have defeated the demographic pressures, Pakistan fails to curb its fertility rate.

The literacy rate continues to be one of the worst in the world. And as of late, Pakistan threatens the rest of the world with the spread of polio: a disease others had put to rest, but it has risen its head yet again in the country.

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Several questions are lurking in the minds of ordinary Pakistanis.

They are wondering if heavy mandates fail to deliver effective governance, and if long marches and dharnas fail to bring change, then what reason is left for one to remain hopeful?

When all is done with the dharnas, people will debate who lost the struggle.

It will not be Mr Sharif, Dr Qadri, or Mr Khan.

It will be the loss of hope in Pakistan.