Use of foul language in political communication has become a new norm especially on social media platforms.
Chaos is one of the many bad outcomes of speculative unauthentic commentary on fake news and targeted propaganda against the credible state institutions. The extraordinary involvement of PTI supporters in sensational social media activism requires introspection to prevent further political turmoil within party ranks. Relying solely on catchy slogans and grand promises might impress dedicated followers, but it ultimately damages a political party’s long-term prospects, particularly in Pakistan’s unique political landscape.
The current leadership of PTI faces a challenging situation for which neither its supporters nor its senior members seem ready. The party’s over-reliance on sensational rhetoric has side-tracked it, leaving little room for conventional political engagement. The party is in its third consecutive term governing the KP province. Instead of governing effectively, the PTI ad-ministration in KP behaves like a typical opposition group focused on agitation. Internal divisions are obvious and point to a significant leadership vacuum; the sudden replacement of the KP Chief Minister was a strong indicator of this inner disorder. The party’s social media wing, often seen as its key strength against rivals, has become a problematic force that dictates the agenda without proper leadership approval or assessment. Surprisingly, no one in the party knows who initiates the agenda points circulated online. Comically, every party spokesperson feels compelled to adopt these lines without rational thought, simply to avoid abusive criticism from invisible online trolls. Numerous popular PTI leaders and spokespersons have been targeted with disgraceful social media criticism from their own supporters. This phenomenon is harming the party’s general reputation within political circles and quickly affecting its decision-making processes.
KP province is experiencing unprecedented turmoil due to cross-border terrorism, lawlessness, poor governance and alleged corruption cases reported in national media. The Chief Minister should be prioritizing these provincial challenges. Surprisingly, both former and current Chief Ministers have shown more interest in securing the release of the imprisoned founding chairman, Imran Khan, largely ignoring provincial governance. The pressure from invisible online campaigners has heavily influenced the policy focus of both Chief Ministers.
The party’s stance on serious national issues, such as cross-border terrorism and the repatriation of illegal Afghan immigrants, is very questionable. The recent press talk by the DG ISPR further strongly suggested that social media campaigns operating under the PTI banner are specifically trying to create a wedge between the public and the armed forces. The amplification of such destructive narratives on hostile Indian and Afghan media cannot be easily over-looked. A group of absconder YouTubers based abroad has effectively hijacked the PTI’s agenda. This is a very intriguing and poisonous form of activism that should not be obscured by claims of “freedom of expression.”
Blind followership of a particular person often undermines the core democratic norms and detrimental to political progression of a party. It is about time for PTI to get rid of self-style victimhood rhetoric. Objectionable role of the party social media wing has become an unbearable burden for the current leadership of the party.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Rawalpindi.
