Pakistan’s Democratic Utopia Fails Yet Again; General Elections 2024

“Nations are born in the hearts of poets. They prosper and die in the hands of politicians”

– Allama Iqbal

Muhammad Allama Iqbal. A jack of all trades was born to a Kashmiri family in Punjab, on November 6th, 1877. He grew up to be a lawyer, poet, philosopher, and scholar. Iqbal envisioned a sovereign state for Muslims, where their religious, economical, cultural, and political rights would be respected. A country where brotherhood and tolerance would reside. Fast forward 70 years.

Pakistan, a ‘democratic’ state held its General Elections on the 8th of February, 2024. Citizens ran towards their designated polling stations to cast their votes to their political parties. Among the top were Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaaf (PTI), and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN).

PTI was clearly winning on all news channels when unofficial results were being aired and discussed. Overnight, with cellular network down and the necessity to drag the time to announce the winning party, the puppet master pulled some strings and turned the right to vote, and fair elections a mockery. Netizens raged out, and started hashtags to voice their opinions in the favour of the former Prime Minster of Pakistan and the Chairman of PTI, Imran Khan. With independent candidates representing PTI, leading the way for the presidency, it was crucial for the opposition to get their way into this, and once again snatch away the rights of citizens on having the leader of their choice, or in simpler words, democracy.

How long will we let Pakistan be tossed around between two opponents which want nothing to do with the country and everything to do with power, and greed? Why aren’t they mindful of the fact that Pakistan is a treasure which has been looted for over a decade now. A treasure no one realises the worth of. A treasure so fine yet so vulnerable to all the cruelty. A treasure fallen prey to the vicious of predators. A treasure I hope to see in its true glory, standing tall to its capabilities.

The nation is well-aware of all the things that go on behind the scenes. We know of all the producers and directors which have been paving the way Pakistan walks on. And, it’s nothing but a broken path filled with neglect, while power-hungry plutocrats sit on the pavement and chew on what’s left of this dystopia.