Fangs of fascism

The Candid Corner

“When fascism came into power, most people were unprepared, both theoretically and practically. They were unable to believe that man could exhibit such propensities for evil, such lust for power, such disregard for the rights of the weak, or such yearning for submission. Only a few had been aware of the rumbling of the volcano preceding the outbreak”.

– Erich Fromm: ‘Escape from Freedom’

The world has witnessed many faces and forms of fascism with one thing in common: they were all equally destructive not only for the people of the concerned country, but also for the entire world. It caused immeasurable brutality with the weakest sections of societies being its principal victims and sufferers. An extremely dangerous form of fascism has now been brutally unleashed in the country through a cabal of convicts and criminals with unstinted support of the state machinery and sponsors.

In Pakistan, it has assumed the shape of power being vested in the hands of a horrid bunch of criminals who are themselves required by the law for having committed grievous crimes during their previous stints including seeking support from foreign countries for help. The manner in which they have been shielded from conviction through various previous phases of dictatorship and their recent induction into the annals of power with the active patronage of the sponsors speak of a partnership among the forces of crime and corruption, on the one hand, and the handlers of the state institutions, on the other. How has this come about and what have been its consequences for retarding the national growth as well as stymieing efforts to free Pakistan from the shackles of subservience to foreign interests remain a forbidden domain. There is little patience among the perpetrators of this latest carnage for a dispassionate and rational debate on these existential issues for national security.

In the process, the sovereignty and independence of the country were gravely compromised and it has been virtually reduced to the status of a client state catering to the master’s diktat without question. Pakistan’s participation in the most recent two wars in Afghanistan on the side of the US brought it boundless destruction in terms of financial loss and human death and suffering. It seems we have not learnt any lessons from this self-inflicting experience as the main drift of our policies has virtually remained unchanged. When someone tried to bring about a substantive shift in the national approach based on according precedence to its financial and strategic interest over alien factors, he was removed from power through an international conspiracy dictated by the US and executed by the domestic collaborators hailing from a variety of state institutions. They all joined hands in ensuring that Imran Khan would not remain in control of the country and it could be taken back again to its servile and subservient days. It is a tragedy of grave proportions which shall keep becoming increasingly evident with the passage of time with the country continuing to suffer its brutal consequences.

Tragically for the sponsors of the regime change conspiracy, this operation has coincided with an unprecedented level of awakening among the people owing to two major factors: Khan’s uncompromising refusal to give in to the regime’s fascist tactics and the power of the social media which has become a major tool for transmitting his message of defiance throughout the country. He has opted for fighting it out in spite of heavy odds including threat to his life. The support he has received has been phenomenal. Never before one has witnessed such enormous response whenever a call for protest has been given! Virtually an ocean of people converged to wherever the rallies were staged.

This has unnerved the criminal cabal and its sponsors who have degenerated to using the most brutal fascist tactics to block people. The manner in which even innocent women and children were barbarically targeted on the occasion of the Long March is symptomatic of the diseased mindset of the criminal ruling clique. This reminds one of the daylight massacre perpetrated by some members of the present ruling cabinet, including its murderer and drug-trafficker interior minister. They have escaped the consequences of this heinous crime so far simply by exploiting their deep tentacles within the institution of the judiciary.

That is not all. In spite of the best efforts of Imran Khan, the accountability cases against the criminals remained stalled in various courts of law. In spite of his conviction, Nawaz Sharif was eased out of the country on the basis of an affidavit to return in four week which has now gone on for almost two years. Another convict, Maryam Nawaz, who secured a bail to look after her (then) “ailing” father is not only enjoying the fruits of freedom, but participating in political activities puking vile invectives without restraint and fraudulently playing her feminist card to demand undeserved respect. The Incumbent prime minister could not be indicted in numerous cases of money-laundering in spite of five dates having been fixed with the last one being on the day he took oath of his present office. His son, Hamza Shahbaz, was also awaiting indictment when he assumed charge as chief minister of Punjab. He has since been removed from there after facing a humiliating defeat in the by-elections in the province. The rest of the family members have all been declared offenders and absconders. This is the criminal state of the ruling family. Their coalition partners are no better as most of them are also wanted by the law which they have been evading exploiting one technical lacuna or the other, with full backing and support of the sponsors and collaborators of the regime change conspiracy.

In spite of their fascist tactics, they have not been able to dilute the enthusiasm and raging passion of the people of the country for Khan to lead the charge to free Pakistan from the clutches of the foreign masters and their criminal local collaborators. There is palpable fear on their faces as they have been caught on a tricky wicket completely unaware of the intensity of resistance that not only Khan, but his constantly-expanding support base throughout the country are putting up. This could literally move mountains.

Resort to fascism and its brutal tactics fall in the domain of criminals and losers. The ruling coterie epitomise the classification. They are desperate to put off an eventuality that seems increasingly imminent as they are fast losing out on one front after the other. Forcing the ECP order, they seem to have played their last dastardly card – a game plan which is bound to disintegrate under the weight of its untruth and falsehood.

The increasing use of the fascist fangs is only expediting the plunge of the criminal ruling clique into the pit of ignominy, shame and humiliation.

The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute