IF I could remove one word from the dictionary, it would be all the iterations of ‘saviour’. No, I’m not selling anything remotely religious here. This idea came to me after a few weeks spent in ‘Decemberistan’, meeting more people than I have the entire year, wherein conversations turned to “What is happening in Pakistan” almost straightaway. More than ever before, I heard discussions around “Who will save Pakistan now?” Now was a reference to the disappointment folks felt at Imran Khan who, they reckoned, was the last hope for the country given how everyone from the “corrupt cabal” had been tried and tested.

While no one explicitly said Pakistan also needed saving from the establishment’s disastrous experiments, more people expressed resentment at their interference. This may seem a small step but I’m hopeful it has a big impact, especially when it comes time to vote.

Even I, who likes to identify as a happy cynic, can feel this uncertainty because I don’t know what’s coming next. Whatever type of governance emerges — technocrat, another compromised democratic set-up interested in protecting business and establishment interests — let us not pin hopes on one person or one institution. It is evident how placing expectations on either a popular leader or an army chief has resulted in more authoritarianism, more hatred, more intolerance, etc. I genuinely believe people want to come out of this dark side, including the many folks who say they want democracy but support systems that serve and protect the elite.

Let us not pin hopes on one person.

What really needs saving?

To those seeking to be saved, perhaps a moment of reflection is in order: how can people protect democracy from the forces who, frankly, don’t believe in it? How did Pakistan come to this inflection point for its economy and democracy? What can be done to ensure resources and wealth are shared?

Last year, political leaders spent a great deal of time convincing Pakistanis, through the media, that X leader would save the economy. None of the supposed and promised saviours have delivered. I’m amazed we’ve not run out of saviours.

This saviour syndrome isn’t limited to matters of governance. Women need to be saved by men, men need to be saved from wicked women, society from western influence and the list goes on. What if the word saving was replaced by safeguarding?

Pakistan’s precarious democracy needs to be safeguarded. Supporters of popular political parties are hellbent on sowing seeds of disinformation, distrust and divisiveness. The men and women who claim to be the true upholders of democracy often show disdain for parliament, ethics, rule of law. They seem to only create reforms to benefit themselves.

Yet people believe their circumstances will change once their leader — aka saviour — is brought (back) to power. This vicious cycle has reached a maniacal level and resulted in deep fissures in society. Unfortunately, media coverage drives that polarisation.

No one seems to have any ideas about how to reduce political polarisation or end support for undemocratic practices. Part of that may be because people don’t see the value of democratic processes. I think it’s a failure of the media for not contextualising events from a democratic perspective, instead only presenting it from their owners’ business perspective.

Far smarter folks than I have written about the massive structural reforms needed in Pakistan. The country needs a government structure that reflects the needs of its diverse population and, as big as that sounds, it’s a long-term goal worth striving for. On a more immediate level, people need to be convinced about a democracy that isn’t centred around one leader, one saviour.

The American political theorist Jennifer N. Victor suggested three simple things people can do to strengthen democracy in the US. Voting is crucial but so is building community in real life, not virtual. Speak to your elders to learn about the value of the mohalla, socialising with one’s neighbours, and being involved in community events which, she notes, improves civic efficacy, helps us bridge differences and “feel more invested in our communities.” She says these are all democratic values. The third thing she advises is the simplest but the toughest: Read. “Read anything that’s more than 240 characters,” she says, because reading stimulates the mind and broadens horizons.

Since you are reading this and believe in the value of reading newspapers, I can only ask you to encourage folks to do the same. Reading helps people understand other perspectives, thereby creating empathy, and allowing better-informed discussions. This is not the same as doom scrolling and/or hateful comments on social media.

Victor’s ideas may seem naive but they are a starting point and far better than the current strategy of believing the country’s future is safe in Bhutto, Khan or Sharif’s hands.

The writer is co-producer and co-host of On/Off the Record, a podcast on journalism in Pakistan.

Twitter: @LedeingLady

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2023