- Pakistani society in a pressure cooker
The unending vitriol and fury on the part of the PM has infected the entire PTI leadership. Earlier, everyone who thought differently from the party was labeled as a lackey of the PML-N or PPP. Now federal Minister Faisal Vawda has gone many steps further by publicly endorsing vigilante justice. He has maintained during a TV talks show that there was a need to hang 5,000 people for the betterment of society, constitution or no constitution. Another federal minister has slapped a journalist in public for criticising him.
Attempts are on to gag the opposition inside the National Assembly now. A newspaper report tells of the PM directing his parliamentary party members not to allow ‘corrupt’ MNAs to express their views during the budget session in the House. He also told the Speaker not to permit ‘convicted’ persons to come from jail to address Parliament. The Speaker consequently declined to issue the production orders of four opposition MNAs while the PTI lawmakers including ministers created rumpus during the speech of the Leader of the Opposition, leading the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings.
During the last ten months the media has been under increasing pressure. The electronic media continues to receive new directives from PEMRA that favour the government and restrict the freedom of its critics. Opinion pieces that support the government are being thrust on the print media. Journalists who dissent from the official narrative are feeling the brunt of the well organised social media trolls who heap insults and hurl threats on those who dare to differ with the government policies.
The judiciary faces witch-hunting. Cases are being instituted against independent judges while social media trolls freely spread defamatory content about them. Professional bodies of the lawyers community are being advised to desist from supporting the independent judiciary. All types of pressures are being exerted to divide the lawyers.
Encouraging fanaticism is harmful for society. To start with, it puts an end to serious discourse. The fanatic looks at one who differs with him as an enemy who must be obliterated. Once the thinking takes roots among the ruling party, stormtroopers kicking down doors are not far away.
