ALTHOUGH the PTI has postponed its protest march on Islamabad, the capital city’s container-blocked roads continue to reflect the country’s deeper crisis.
asserted
roads → postpone → crisis
The crisis is not merely political, economic, or security-related; it is rooted in an elite class that cannot forge an accord within themselves.
asserted
that → relate → themselves
Islamabad is not witnessing a siege-like situation for the first time; it has become part of life for the inhabitants of the twin cities.
asserted
it → witness → cities
Even a cricket match or a visiting dignitary can bring life to a standstill.
asserted
match → visit → standstill
Despite huge investments in infrastructure and expensive surveillance systems, the security providers remain nervous.
asserted
providers → remain → infrastructure
They have turned the federal capital into a city of checkpoints, where the average citizen must pass through long queues every 10 minutes during his daily commute — with police officers regarding him with suspicious eyes.
asserted
officers → turn → eyes
Citizens end up feeling that they themselves are responsible for all the country’s ills, while those who have actually encroached on green belts, footpaths, and even highways escape punishment for crimes they do not even understand.
asserted
they → end → crimes
The crisis runs deep, and even the postponement of the protest by the PTI, and earlier by the Jamaat-i-Islami, will not solve the country’s political, governance, economic, and security crisis.
asserted
postponement → run → crisis
These lines may seem cynical, but the streets of the federal capital tell Pakistan’s whole story.
uncertain
streets → seem → story
The ‘container-ment’ approach shows serious fractures among the power elites over the division of power, which has not been shared proportionately and has, in fact, caused a chronic political crisis and led to a rent-seeking economy.
asserted
which → show → economy
Rent-seeking means economic actors become adept at obtaining privileged access to the state or controlling scarce resources.
asserted
actors → mean → resources
The masses are not responsible for the country’s state of affairs; it is fractured power elites who have yet to learn the art of distributing power among themselves.
asserted
who → fracture → themselves
Here, another term needs explaining.
asserted
term → need → ?
The ‘fractured elite’ comprises Pakistan’s dominant political, civil-military, judicial, and institutional elite — sometimes referred to as the establishment — when it no longer agrees on the basic rules of the political game.
asserted
it → comprise → game
The elite includes religious and ideological authorities, but in an evolving power order, their role and share have been minimised for now.
asserted
role → include → order
Major businesses and landed interests have become important actors within the fractured power order.
asserted
businesses → land → order
Serious fractures exist among the elites over the division of power.
asserted
fractures → exist → power
A question arises: what does an elite power accord look like?
asserted
accord → arise → what
Is it about who will have the political power to govern, and under what conditions?
asserted
who → govern → conditions
Another question emerges: aside from political power, who holds the real power, also referred to as institutional power?
asserted
who → emerge → power
Does this authority belong to parliament, the executive, the military, the judiciary, or the bureaucracy?
asserted
authority → belong → parliament
Institutional power brings control over major economic resources and rents, as well as coercive or security institutions.
asserted
power → bring → resources
It also has territorial power to determine how the interests of the centre and the provinces are accommodated.
asserted
interests → have → centre
Among the elites, succession remains a key question: how will power change hands?
asserted
power → remain → hands
A linked challenge arises.
asserted
challenge → link → ?
How are influential groups accommodated?
asserted
groups → accommodate → ?
Foreign policy remains the exclusive domain of the power elites — what strategic interests are considered non-negotiable?
asserted
interests → remain → elites
Now look at the Pakistani elites, which have failed to define the role of political power.
asserted
which → look → power
Gradually, an institution has assumed authority, while the ruling political parties have surrendered several rights to retain power.
asserted
parties → assume → power
The opposition, meanwhile, is demanding its legitimate rights.
asserted
opposition → demand → rights
Many political analysts arguably contend that the opposition, now led by the PTI, along with smaller parties within the opposition alliance, the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan, is struggling for power rather than restoring or developing a new social contract in the country.
asserted
opposition → contend → country
It has been marginalised in the power structure because the changing rules in the power playbook leave less space for religious actors now.
asserted
rules → marginalise → actors
The political power structure has clearly failed to advance nationhood, and power remains confined to one major influential ethnic group in the country.
asserted
power → fail → country
Those who represent the power structure in the public discourse and the social and mainstream media malign less powerful and marginalised groups, suggesting they go to Afghanistan — their remarks target both the Pakhtuns and the Baloch.
asserted
remarks → represent → Pakhtuns
They stigmatise the Kashmiris as well, who have been demanding their rights in Azad Kashmir.
asserted
who → stigmatise → Kashmir
If state propagandists are suggesting a course of action for them, where are they supposed to go?
asserted
they → suggest → them
Fractured power elites cannot create cohesion within a nation.
asserted
elites → create → nation
They cannot resolve their internal discord, so how can they devise a broad formula for national cohesion?
asserted
they → resolve → cohesion
In their paranoid view, security has taken over dialogue, and they have grown accustomed to killing an ant with a hammer.
asserted
they → take → hammer
Even when clear indications show dialogue is the best policy, power elites know it would mean accommodating new members in the power club and remain hesitant to admit newcomers.
asserted
it → show → newcomers
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
