IT is only natural that people express themselves in times of emotional euphoria as well as in times of economic distress. They speak up as and what the situation demands. Two recent disparate incidents can shed some light on the matter; the thumping win of Lahore Qalandars and the subsequent jubilation of the Lahoris, and the protest by people in Gwadar against the non-availability of civic facilities. In both the cases the outpouring was overwhelming, underlining the fact that people act on their impulses and urgings without support from the power structures.

In contrast, politicians cannot deliver a bit without the wholehearted participation of the public. In their pursuit of change in the country, they should learn it fast, because as of now, their daily endeavours on prime time TV slots have led to nothing.

Without popular support, a meaningful change in Pakistan will remain a distant dream as the skewed political system does not favour it. The representatives it sends have neither the capacity nor the will to serve. As a result, the gulf has widened to such an extent that it has become impossible for the midgets of politics to bridge it.

That is why they, in order to show off their popularity among the public, gather a rented crowd, which despite its presence cannot replicate the vibrancy of an organic crowd.

Being a student of political history of Pakistan, I have seen popular reactions against the governments. One such reaction I saw was against the Ayub Khan government when it hiked the price of sugar by a few paisas. The public did not accept it and came out across the country, and the government had to bow down. If we juxtapose the current situation of unprecedented hyperinflation with that of the Ayub episode, there should have been chaos everywhere in the country, with people taking to the streets. It would not have been life as usual, which is the case.

If the masses are unresponsive even in the face of rampant overall price escalation, it is because they doubt the intentions of the opposition. Or else, the people would have responded, as they off and on do. Hence, blaming the people for not supporting the opposition in its efforts to dethrone the government signifies their own frustration.

Before moving any further, the opposition should do a thorough soul-searching as to what really is stopping it from achieving its political objectives. It will not take then too long to realise that the reason is nothing but its discredited leadership that has lost public trust. The rented crowd and the night-time rants on electronic media would not change anything.

Imbroglios, like the present one, would keep transpiring and fading out till a responsible class of politicians replaces the present lot. It is high time the political parties found a clean leadership, which may give people something to look forward to.

Aslam Aziz Khanzada
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2022