Life is all about experiencing countless variations of a journey, be it in the intellectual domain, or emotional or physical. It is through these years that one gains the necessary credentials to get closer to one’s dreams.
But getting there physically does not imply that one has achieved the coveted goal. At times, it may only mean that you have drifted farther from your destination. Going through a sequence of such experiences, one sees life transform into a ceaseless journey, occasionally giving a false impression of bringing you close to places of your choice, only to discover that your destination lies far beyond.
There may also come a time when, driven by the dictates of logic, moving further may lose its value and relevance. This is when one desperately wishes to break free of the shackles that one feels entrapped in. In such circumstances, bereft of hope and expectation, life assumes a cyclic momentum, moving from one disappointment to the next, one heartbreak to another. Engulfed in such dismay, one is drenched in a feeling of being lost for motivation.
The existing environment gives a vivid impression that we may be living through such a time. Embroiled in a gravely malfunctioning system with every institution having crashed, and human spirit bartered for puny coins, the principal challenge is to maintain a quantum of sanity and sustain a modicum of interest in the act of living.
But the trends point otherwise. With droves of people having left the country in the past three years, and the exodus not receding with the passage of time, the level of hope associated with the state’s future is showing signs of cracking. I have seldom seen such a level of despondency with people willing to take desperate measures to secure their and their families’ future in any corner of the world.
While economic uncertainties remain a major reason for this mass migration, there are growing concerns about the safety and security of families. With the gauntlet of terror hanging overhead, the matter is further compounded by the collapse of institutions and the consequent absence of justice. The 26th and 27th amendments have taken away whatever hope may have survived that the system may reclaim its integrity and operational transparency. None of that has happened, and none of that is likely to happen in the foreseeable future, thus further accentuating the crisis of systemic collapse.
The absence of unity and cohesion in society further compounds the gravity of the situation. The cracks of division are only widening with time, with myopic and bloated egos taking precedence over logic and sanity, thus further tarnishing the political landscape.
The clampdown on the PTI has become a recurring phenomenon, deepening divisions in society. Despite the use of brutal state power, the party has not only survived but also seen Imran Khan’s popularity continue to grow. Consequently, he has been subjected to the agony of increasing isolation, with even his family members and lawyers denied permission to meet with him. This is despite repeated court orders to the contrary.
It appears that no one is concerned about the fate of a country that is teetering on the brink of multifaceted collapse. All indicators are negative with little prospect of cultivating confidence for economic or social salvation. Geostrategic complications have emerged as a major factor with clouds of conflict becoming darker. It is time to exercise restraint on the borders and move with sagacity and tolerance on the domestic front.
The philosophy of alienating one political party and ousting it from the race has not worked. Instead, it has caused more discord and division in society. Neither have we learnt from past similar experiences, nor are we willing to do so now. Banning of politicians and political parties has never delivered. That does not provide a way out of the crisis we are currently gripped by. Instead of resorting to exclusionary measures, we should employ the tools of reason and inclusivity to bring people together.
An unsettling stagnation is digging in its tentacles. A tedious harangue drives whatever is left of the narrative. Nothing seems to be working to enliven the environment and make it conducive to building trust and confidence. We are desperately hanging on to the last few remnants that we could derive solace from. But that, too, is gradually slipping away, leaving behind a dreadful void to be sucked into.
The path we have chosen does not take us into the future. It is overburdened with the weight of a chequered past. We’ll have to break free of this stranglehold and adopt a remedy that unifies the nation as a collective force to bring about change. Let’s stop wasting time calling each other traitors and anti-state. Neither have such prescriptions worked in the past, nor are they likely to in the future. Let’s stop grading people by the quantum of love they have for their country and dubbing those in the opposition as less patriotic. These are all recipes that have long since lost utility. Going by these proclamations, there would not be a single patriot left in the country. Let’s grow beyond that.
There are only two centres of power. One is Imran Khan, whose legitimacy is embedded in broad-based public support, as amply demonstrated by the February 8 elections and by all surveys conducted since. The second are the powers-that-be, riding a system forced through contrived constitutional amendments. The rest are aberrations benefitting from the confrontation between these two. The foremost challenge is to create space for one another and to facilitate the initiation of a broad-based dialogue to reconcile the fault lines that have emerged from the ongoing acrimony.
While Imran Khan is a formidable asset who cannot be sacrificed at the altar of gross fabrications or the Machiavellian tactics of the illegitimate beneficiary ruling elite, the powers that be remain a force to be reckoned with. This battle should not be trumpeted anywhere other than around a table to conduct a meaningful dialogue. Imran Khan alone has sacrificed for the cause of a genuinely independent Pakistan, while the ruling political elite have been the beneficiaries, hiding their lust for power behind a fake facade they have treacherously created.
Pakistan cannot afford the consequences of a prolonged and vengeful narrative. For it to come out of a deepening morass, the path should be lit by candles of hope and compassion, not by rigidity and retribution.
Even in a labyrinth, there is a way to the centre. Why are we evading that path?
The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute. He is a former special assistant to former PM Imran Khan and heads the PTI’s policy think-tank. He tweets @RaoofHasan
