Blinded by devotion

Supporters of a particular political party and a former prime minister are so blinded by their love and devotion for their political leader that in this quest everything else is of secondary importance.

This can be seen on social and digital media, since the party in question has pioneered the use of social media to further its narrative and to get its message out across not just Pakistan but across the world.

The narrative is built through a mixture of misinformation, propaganda, AI-generated video and audio, memes targeting anyone who disagrees with their leader and his policies, and occasional fact. Launching personal attacks, often backed by falsehood and outright lies and propaganda, is a key staple of the social media strategy used by this party.

Everything is kosher, including the name and reputation of the country and its various state institutions, as long as the objective of glorifying and lionizing the leader is achieved. The party’s followers, by and large, are of the view that the best way of doing this is to put down anyone and everyone who opposes the party and its leader’s policies.

The party’s cheerleaders on social media can often be seen not letting go of any opportunity to make fun of and mock anything related to Pakistan and the current dispensation. Some will say that this flows from their right to freedom of thought and expression and that is fine. However, a red line is crossed when they use disinformation, propaganda or outright lies to make a point or to get their narrative and message across.

These are almost always at the expense of the state and its various institutions and are designed to create a picture where the country is seen as a veritable basket case and beyond redemption. And while there will be some – mostly PTI supporters – who wholeheartedly believe this to be the case, the facts on the ground, especially with regards to the state of the economy, paint quite a different picture.

Then there is the case of, say, Pakistan’s relations with the rest of the world. The same PTI supporters don’t leave any opportunity behind or stone unturned to paint the current government and political dispensation as one that is taking the country down an abyss of ruin and destruction.

In that matrix, they must present Pakistan as inherently inferior, unstable, corrupt and inefficient compared to all other countries and if that means praising India and presenting it as an epitome of democracy and free speech, then so be it. Of course, such a view is highly problematic especially since India is not exactly a beacon of democracy or a country where freedom of speech and expression are widely respected.

Such blind devotion also tends to shield one from any semblance of logic and reason. For example, many such supporters are of the very firm view that if Donald Trump were re-elected as president of the US, Imran Khan will be released from prison. The ‘reasoning’ goes that Trump and Imran Khan are good friends and that, if elected as president again, he will ensure that the latter gets out of prison.

Of course, there is no evidence whatsoever to back this assertion. But, as already stated earlier, logic or reason or providing evidence for a particular way of thinking are not really their strong points. They hold the view that the US president can get their leader out of a prison in Pakistan, but they also in the not-too-distant past accused the same country of ousting their leader from the post of prime minister. To some people there’s nothing contradictory about holding such diametrically opposed views as long as the objective is to support the leader and to get him out of prison as soon as possible.

This blind devotion has also led to situations in recent days where even national heroes are defied and mocked – simply because they have been honoured by the government for their achievements. Take the case of Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem who deservedly so has been generously rewarded by the federal and provincial governments. He has been invited by various senior government functionaries and feted and given generous cash awards.

However, even for this – which is nothing more than a world-class athlete being given his due – the blind devotees have been sharply critical of him on social media: from accusing him of being distracted by the riches bestowed on him to colluding with the ‘corrupt ruling elite’ and so on.

Such blind devotion is also found in other parts of the world, especially with larger-than-life populist leaders. The best example is in the US with Donald Trump where many of the qualities displayed by his hardcore supporters are pretty much mirrored in the blond and devoted supporters found in Pakistan.

Both groups think alike: whatever their leader says is the truth and that only their leader can save the country from disaster and ruin. Both groups also have little or no patience for those who are at odds with their leader and see nothing wrong in attacking them personally and mocking their views.

The writer is a journalist based in Karachi. He tweets/posts @omar_quraishi and can be reached at: omarrquraishi@gmail.com