A national pastime
Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has glibly claimed in the Parliament that Pakistan has neither signed an official agreement with Saudi Arabia nor joined the 34-member coalition to fight terrorism. George Orwell must be turning in his grave.
The novelist, essayist, journalist and critic in one of his works famously said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” In the Islamic Republic our present leadership has mastered the art of Orwellian doublespeak to perfection.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the other day brazenly declared that he has never lied. Like in the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film ‘True Lies’, this is a quintessential oxymoron. No politician worth his or her salt can say with a straight face that he always simply speaks the plain truth.
Sartaj Aziz informed the Parliament that participation in military exercises along with twenty other countries was merely a routine matter as part of Pakistan’s military cooperation with the Kingdom since 1982. The government, ever since exacerbation of Saudi-Iran tension, has been pussy-footing about its role in the so-called 34-nation Saudi-led anti-terrorism coalition.
Last month Nawaz Sharif, with the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif in tow, embarked upon what was described as a mediation mission between Riyadh and Tehran. The top civilian and military leadership, after being given the red carpet treatment by the Saudi king, made a brief stopover at Tehran. Saudi Arabia however threw cold water on Islamabad’s claims by categorically stating that mediation was simply not on the cards.
Perhaps the unstated reason of the quixotic mission was to assure Saudi Arabia of Pakistan’s diplomatic as well as military support in its crusade against Syria. Only a few months back our foreign office had clarified that Islamabad had no quarrel with Basher al Assad’s beleaguered regime.
For Pakistan, participating in military exercises and sabre rattling against Syria at this juncture is the complete reversal of its oft declared policy of not getting militarily involved in intra-Islamic world disputes.
Simply put our role in the so-called anti-terror alliance is not clear. Our flag is raised alongside 33 other nations in the Saudi-led alliance. But our foreign ministry insists that they are still seeking clarifications.
While engaging in this deliberate obfuscation there is certainly a method in the madness. We have clearly aligned ourselves with Turkey and Saudi Arabia against the ostensible putsch to dislodge the ISIL (Da’ish). But it is obvious that in reality this alliance is against Iran and its proxy Assad.
This is a dangerous game to play. After decades of frosty relations between Islamabad and Moscow, there is a thaw of sorts with Russia. Pakistan is seeking defence cooperation with Moscow.
A mega LNG deal is also in the offing. But our myopic leadership, by taking sides in the Syrian conflict, is harking back to the Cold War era politics that historically did Pakistan no good.
That the Parliament should be taken into confidence is stating but the obvious. But if our elected representatives are only fed with half truths or plain lies, what is the point of the whole exercise?
According to Edward S Herman, a media analyst and author: ‘What is really important in the world of doublespeak is the ability to lie, whether knowingly or unconsciously, and to get away with it; and the ability to use lies and choose and shape facts selectively, blocking out those that don’t fit an agenda or program[me].’
The above succulently sums up the state of affairs in the Islamic Republic. However, merely to blame the politicians for the malaise will be patently unfair. It is a societal affliction. Even most amongst our media punditocracy shy away from calling a spade a spade.
In the process speaking with a forked tongue has become a national pastime. We have also become a nation of killjoys. Right from the top, that is the President of Pakistan, has nothing better to do than exhort the youth not to celebrate Valentine’s Day as it was an evil western concept. Mamnoon Hussain without naming India pontificated that western culture has destroyed our neighbour so we should be careful.
The president failed to elaborate how India has adopted western culture in toto. In reality, with a GDP growth rate of seven per cent plus, the standard of living of an ordinary Indian is improving.
On the other hand, despite tall claims Pakistan’s GDP growth rate remains less than five per cent. But our leadership keeps on insisting that we have turned the corner and soon will become an Asian tiger.
The stark reality is that despite the BJP’s moral police India has successfully created a soft image of its own. The success of its cinema is only one manifestation of this unpalatable truth for our moral brigade.
An industrialist from Faisalabad ran advertisements exhorting the citizenry not to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Then there are those amongst the media who made this novel claim that the whole concept was a Jewish conspiracy.
The other day I read in the newspapers that the ever vigilant Punjab Police in Lahore discovered an illicit kite making outfit. The kite maker, who was arrested for breaking the law, was ostensibly making kites to be distributed all over the province.
Basant was a Lahore festival that had gained international fame. But the government banned it altogether a few years back owing to disruption in the power grid and people dying in accidents. Instead of throwing the baby with the bath water by proscribing it, the administration should have at least tried to regulate the festival.
These activities promote domestic commerce. They should be encouraged by the state rather than taking the easy course of entirely banning them.
Take the case of cricket. The PSL is being held in the safe haven of Dubai with much fanfare. The T20 tournament will earn a lot of money for the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). But whether the exercise will promote the game domestically remains a moot point.
Sheesha smoking is also considered to be bad for the youth. Hence the Punjab government banned it as well. Qabza mafias have usurped most of the playgrounds in cities and towns. Therefore, there are few outlets left to pursue healthy sports activities.
A lot of lip service is paid to changing the so-called narrative. But ground realities tell an entirely different story.
The sole entertainment remaining is eating out. This business is thriving. But only the affluent can afford it. The elite, apart from dining at high end restaurants, also go on holidays abroad. But the poor man can hardly make ends meet.
Apart from building metro lines, metro trains, highways and motorways, the government should stop meddling in the private affairs of the citizenry. Regulation in the name of false morality and religiosity is having the opposite effect — by alienating the youth.