ENORMOUS upsurge in fanaticism and fascism in our political landscape has been the most excruciating development in recent times. The war of building narratives against political opponents at all costs has become a priority even over nationalistic causes.

With the emergence of social media and its deep-rooted role in building public opinion regarding our domestic issues, Pakistani society, just like any other society globally, is struggling to hit the right momentum with the ever burgeoning phenomenon.

There is no denying the fact that narratives built and propelled by political leaders have led to dissent, conflicts and anarchism in society. It has changed the tapestry of our social fabric, resulting in some disastrous consequences.

It is also true that fascism and fana- ticism were not the hallmark of our society till the rise of demagogues and megalo-maniac leaders offering themselves as ‘messiahs’ and ‘saviours’. Such populist leaders have been trying to dictate terms and pursue their nefarious agendas through anarchy, violating the established norms of society for their personal motives and grudges to settle scores with political rivals and anyone who disagrees. This is clearly an anti-state line of action.

We saw this happening in recent years when an individual was plucked out of political wilderness to change the system, but he ended up bringing the entire system to a grinding halt. The unfortunate victim of that ‘project’ was the Pakistani nation. The horrible outcomes of such an experimentation are still being witnessed in society in various forms. Politics has long been called the art of the possible, but in today’s Pakistan, politics is about the art of the impossible, and it is marked by an extremist and intolerant attitude.

Some political observers feel that the culture of mutiny and anarchy has been cultivated in society through political rhetoric and irresponsible statements, while others call it mass awareness. Can vandalising state property and violence for personal gains be called awareness? Is causing potential economic losses to the national exchequer by asking the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stay away from Pakistan a sign of public awareness? Is it really an act of national service to poison the minds of the youth to confront national and security institutions?

For the sake of national prosperity, the focus should be solely on stability, and not on demagoguery. We do not have a lot of options in the present scenario.

Sajjad Khattak
Attock

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2024