I learned a lot about Pakistan once I moved out of there. These are the few things that I heard growing up there in abundance
1. "yaar yeh system kabhi bhi theek nahi ho sakta"
2. "politics shareef aadmi kay bus ki baat nahi hai"
3. "sifaarish k bina achi nokri to milna na mumkin hai"
4. "laga paisa, daikh tamasha"
5. "court kecheheri k chakkar say behtar hai banda khud ko aag laga lay"
6. "sarkaai haspataal main kuttay ko bhi na jaana paray"
7. "clerk badshah. patwaari baadshah"
And a lot more that I won't write because they aren't very decent.
We almost believe that "yeh jo ho raha hai, aisay hi hota rehna hai" and there's nothing that can change it. The systemic corruption, incompetence, and utter disregard of humanity is prevalent in our culture in abundance. Now, where did all of this actually come from. And when you trace it back, it's obvious that the people in power, be it deep state, or the politicians have never really even for a single day worked for the betterment of the people.
We have been treated in such a disrespectful manner for so long, that we have lost all meaning of self-respect. We confuse it with a concept that we have "izzat" which is nothing more than a social construct of false bravado. People spend more on the functions of weddings to show-off their wealth than the education of their kids. And this culture is so entrenched in the minds of the people, that even those who get educated repeat the same sentiment "kuch theek nahi ho sakta" albeit in different and nicer words. We have a belief that nepotism is a good thing if it gets someone deserving into place, and absolute mindless analogies are given out as facts - our some minister went on ahead and tweeted something as bizarre as "corrupt incompetent person is better than non-corrupt incompetent person" and people lapped it up.
The point was missed - when you create a system of merit things fall in place - and people continue to repeate this rhetoric day-in and day-out. If you repeate stupidity regularly, it becomes part of what you are and eventually that's how you see the world.
A kid growing up in Pakistan does not have a choice to fulfill their true potential, they don't have pathways, there are no roads to success, and the few who are privileged continue to remain blind sighted and powerful. We live in a country where there are still feudal lords who own the life of their subjects, a society where women and kids are sold for a few hundred rupees, where the blood of poor is cheaper than water, and then we have people who come on television shows and confess their love to the country. Oh, the audacity.
There's a lot of wrong with PTI, there's no denying every wrong thing that they do, have done, or will do. There are no saviours obvious in the ranks of PTI and viewing it from a distance, it seems like a fading power, burdened by it's own false promises. But to say that PMLN, PPP, and its likes are saviours and are heroes is just unacceptable.
The elite have sucked the blood of people like parasites - they are the disease - and you don't love the disease. You find a cure for it, you throw it outta your system. Those of us who are privileged owe it to our dying kids, crying elderly, sick, tired, and downtrodden, and we owe it big time to ourself to renounce this mafia who has tormented us for decades and will continue to do so.
So if PTI gives even a glimmer of hope, for even the slightest of time, I'd look to it. Will I be delusional enough to think they will fix the country, and then later the world, the answer is no. But I won't accept anyone who continues to remain an enabler and supports those who have blood on their hands, arms, heck even all of their bodies are drenched in that.
