IS the arrest of Faiz Hameed a revolution or just the first drop in the pot of revolution? This is the fundamental question, but there is something slightly different about it. Over the past few weeks, we have heard many things, such as “something big is about to happen.” People were saying that the silence these days is the calm before the storm. What storm were they seeing signs of? Perhaps one of them was what we heard from Imran Khan. He said that the government had only two months, while he has plenty of time. Well, Imran Khan said this, but his sympathizers said even more, claiming that Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had already given up and even offered his resignation to President Asif Ali Zardari. Other similar statements were made, predicting that the current government wouldn’t survive much longer. It seemed that all the weight was falling to one side, but the opposite happened—Faiz Hameed was arrested. Now the question is, what message does this convey?
In ancient tales, the life of a giant would often be hidden in a parrot. In this story, the “parrot” represents a particular situation—a situation that has emerged from a struggle. The influence of this fight is far-reaching. The story itself is long, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the events of May 9 are a consequence of it. Likewise, it wouldn’t be incorrect to link the tremors in our political and economic sectors to this struggle. The main point is that a fight is ongoing within our system between old and new ways of thinking. Currently, we are witnessing different scenes from this ongoing battle.
What is this fight? It is the clash between the characters of Pakistan before and after 2022. The discussion has now reached the point of the no-confidence motion. Around the time of the no-confidence motion, and even before and after, we repeatedly heard that Pakistan was on the verge of bankruptcy. This bankruptcy was partly due to financial statistics, which led Imran Khan’s FBR chairman to repeatedly declare that Pakistan had gone bankrupt. However, it was also connected to a certain sentiment—the feeling that the nation and its people had been looted to the maximum extent by the oppressors, and that the country and its people had reached their breaking point. This sentiment was a key reason for the no-confidence motion and many other actions.
The question is what was the basis of this thought? It was based on the idea that interference in the political system had brought the country to the brink of disaster. This disaster was twofold. On one hand, the country’s economy was utterly ruined. On the other hand, dangerous people came into power. During their short tenure, they made several moves that harmed national interests. Among these, the Kashmir policy was particularly notable, which gave India a free hand. Similarly, the economic destruction appeared to be a result of deliberate planning, which put the constitution and defense assets, such as the nuclear program, at risk. These events completely changed the thinking of state institutions. As a result, some fundamental decisions were made.
These decisions can be seen as forming a new social contract. It was against this social contract that the May 9 rebellion occurred. Imran Khan was the face of this rebellion, but there were many people behind him who were afraid of new ideas and didn’t want the country to be set on the right path—they wanted the old system of looting and interference to continue. Today, one of those people’s names has emerged in the form of this arrest.
Following the actions against the May 9 events, many of those responsible were apprehended, but complete control over the situation was not achieved. They needed to be sent a message that things had gone too far and would no longer be tolerated. Arrest of Faiz Hameed has delivered this message. Effects of this arrest will not be limited to just one institution; they will be far-reaching. In this regard, Faisal Vawda’s statement holds weight. He said that now nothing can stop Pakistan from progressing. This means that those who were holding the system back from within will no longer have control over the steering wheel or any important part of it. Whoever needs to understand should understand— the state has determined its direction and will no longer allow anyone to obstruct its path. This doesn’t mean the fight is over; it means the enemy’s key stronghold has fallen.
—This writer is former advisor to the president of Pakistan, author & mass media theorist.
(farooq.adilbhuta@gmail,com)
