IT is a sick mindset for which no boundaries of any sort exist. All is kosher in this dirty political war — from the custodial torture of politicians to the gross invasion of their privacy.

Even as Senator Azam Swati decided to go public with the horrific details of his alleged torment at the hands of the FIA, and approached the Supreme Court’s human rights cell for redress, some as yet unknown quarter decided that his mortification and suffering must continue.

Hence, a new low was reached in Pakistani politics when, according to Senator Swati, his wife received a video featuring content intended to publicly humiliate the couple. Even though the elderly senator broke down in front of the cameras yesterday as he related this new outrage, it must have taken an inordinate amount of courage to face the press.

The Constitution treats human dignity as an inviolable right. This was snatched away from Mr Swati and his family by some fiendish elements of state or society — indeed, there are so many operators of the dark web, so many who misuse digital technology that, without a serious probe, it would be almost impossible to identify those behind this particular incident.

Read: 'They kept beating me': Swati describes his 'custodial torture'

The only ray of hope was the swift condemnation of the incident from both sides of the political divide. The Senate chairman will form a committee to get to the bottom of the matter. In fact, Mr Swati’s trauma should galvanise all politicians to close ranks to convey that such practice will not be tolerated.

By doing so, they would also be helping the thousands of ordinary folk who face similar abuse but have to live with the indignity as officialdom has shown scant interest in nabbing those who invade their privacy and blackmail them, often with doctored videos. However, for that to happen, the toxicity that dominates the political discourse today has to cease. With the level of hatred rising in rival camps, will it be possible to agree on the need for decency in politics?

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2022