The pivot of politics is always seeking power, so that a political party is able, so to say, to implement its program on the basis of which it wins voters’ mandate. That’s an ideal statement of an ideal polity. In reality, it doesn’t happen like that.
There are betrayals, treacheries, and opportunism on the part of political parties. There is perennial interference, for instance in the case of Pakistan, by the players who are external to the political realm but are always intent upon unleashing political instability and uncertainty in the country.
Let’s try to understand what it is that’s called being depoliticised. In Pakistan, everyone who has a bit of interest in politics knows well a term, political apathy, the usual use of which stopped probably after the Lawyers’ Movement (2007-09); though the apathy still exists.
Maybe because it’s the movement that refreshed the interest of the people in the political affairs of the country. Prior to that, the term political apathy stood to mean people’s insensitiveness to matters political, and it was also argued that it was this factor which kept the voter turnout in Pakistan too low.
As far as causes of the political apathy are concerned, one is more important than others. First, regardless of the fact which party is in power, no civilian political government ever tried to deliver. So people became impervious to whatever was happening in the political arena. They turned to themselves and to their homes.
Indeed, presently there is no talk of political apathy. But that doesn’t mean there is none, it's still there. The voter turnout in the last elections is 55%. But the argument of the present writer does not base on the concept of political apathy. It lays its whole emphasis on the notion of a depoliticised citizenry of Pakistan. It may both be non-political and/or anti-political.
The concept of political apathy is altogether different from the notion of a depoliticised citizenry. Political apathy is a reaction from the people to a fruitless and barren politics. It leaves politics on its own. It withdraws its interest from such politics.
In contrast to that, a depoliticised citizenry is something very dangerous, simply because it overrides politics. It outdates politics, it predates politics. It does not lose its interest in politics, rather it is overwhelmingly interested in politics. However, it’s concept of politics is sort of unique. It’s sort of a supra-politics.
In a nutshell, a politically apathetic citizenry is indifferent to whoever seeks power and whoever comes in power – it knows it’s not going to change their fate. A depoliticised citizenry, as it is ardently and desperately interested in politics, does not believe in seeking power through political means.
It derives its inspiration from an imagined future. It is in this sense, that it is said to be depoliticised. It is the essence of depoliticised elements, whatever their form is, they always seek power hungrily and seek it in non-political ways.
As a matter of principle, political elements, their betrayals, treacheries, and opportunism aside, somehow come to believe in political ways while seeking political power. As against this, depoliticised elements are naked power-seekers. They want power at any cost by any means. That’s their substance and hallmark as well.
One more explanation may help understand the nature of a depoliticised Pakistan, the politics of which is being witnessed in the shape of Imran Khan (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), Tahir-ul-Qadri (Pakistan Awami Tehreek), Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi (Pakistan Muslim League-Q), Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (Awami Muslim League).
They are all seeking power in non-political ways, whatever their excuses and slogans are. In fact, it is all the martial laws which veritably nursed such power-seekers. They crafted ever newer ways for non-political power-seekers; and opened a whole new world for such non-political politicians.
In addition, a constituency for such politics also emerged. That created a depoliticiased Pakistan, which think and act non-politically. It derides politics. Some of the political parties learned a lesson or two not to seek power in non-political ways; but there is no dearth of newcomers and the old stalwarts who are still clinging to the old habits of seeking power.
Imran Khan’s would have proved to be a promising party for the politically apathetic citizens also, had it gone for seeking power in a political manner. Unfortunately it has opted for an alignment with a depoliticised Pakistan, which believes in non-political ways only.
Political problems require political solutions. Likewise, in seeking political power in non-political ways, one party may succeed, but in the process, what damage it wreaks to the state and society, it may never realise. Now it is PTI which represents a depoliticised Pakistan; it’s strengthening it also. It’s on the rampage to destroy a political Pakistan it must come back to.
