By: Ijlal Haider
They claim to cast off the malady of corruption and label themselves as the champions of the people in the fight against the greedy and corrupt “Political Elite.” They lure public by propagating lies. Even though they enter the office through elections, they disregard democratic institutions. Independence of the Judiciary and respect for the legislature are their least concern. They defy power distribution and concentrate it in their own hands. Free media annoys them as they cannot process criticism. Their propaganda and agenda-setting strategies distinguish them from traditional politicians. They are the new crop of leaders that have sprung up in countries either rich or poor. Pakistan is among those countries who are witnessing a rise of such demagogues. They can be called ‘autocrats’, ‘authoritarians’ or something Political Scientists have liked calling them ‘The Populists.”
The world is alarmed with the rise of populist politicians because they seem to pose a direct threat to a democratic system. Their power of ‘Narrative’ building is their lethal weapon against the democratic institutions and the system, which garners them unconditional support from the public and legitimizes their unconstitutional acts. They shatter democratic principles when in power. The democratic norms such as equality, respect for the rule of law, Judicial independence and co-existence etc. are blatantly sacrificed when they conflict or contradict with their interests.
Why do people buy their narrative?
The target audience of the populists are those people who have grown animosity towards old political structure, monopolized by powerful elite. Their rhetoric allows them to inject hatred towards political forces other than theirs’. Such hypnotic politics enables them to rule over the people who would never question the legitimacy of their leader. Even if they start awakening from their slumber, a populist prepares a different narrative and mobilizes it exceptionally that it becomes their political currency.
Leaders like Donald Trump of USA, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Hungary’s Victor Orban, Narendar Modi of India and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro are few living examples of populist leaders. Their post-truth politics in which objective facts become less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief establishes their political base and their popularity. Disinformation and manipulation of public opinion are the approaches close to the heart of their political life.
Pakistan and The Populist
In the book ‘How Democracies Die’, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have mentioned four behavioral warning signs that can help in identifying an authoritarian/populist leader. Since Pakistan is witnessing a rise of a populist in Imran Khan, let us check whether he full fills the above-mentioned behavioral requirements for a populist. According to them, one should be worried when they see following behavior in a politician. (1) A politician who rejects democratic rules of the game, in word or action; Imran khan’s 3rd April stunt of dissolving national assembly to escape a democratic process of vote of no-confidence, check. (2) Denies the legitimacy of opponents; Mr. Khan throughout his tenure in power denied oppositions legitimacy and discouraged parliamentary debates over bills etc., check. (3) Tolerates or encourages violence; Khan’s hate speech about PTI dissidents and attack on Sindh House by the PTI workers, check. (4) Indicates a willingness to curtail the civil liberties of opponents, including the media; introduction of ‘PMDA’ and draconian ‘PECA’ law amendments bills, check. Given above points, Mr. Khan’s political behavior includes him in the list of populist leaders as per the standards mentioned by Levitsky and Ziblatt in their book.
In consequence of the above-mentioned behaviors, it can be observed in Pakistani society that polarization has taken roots. Populist politics has deeply divided the society in pro-PTI and anti-PTI or more precisely pro-Imran Khan and anti-Imran Khan debates. The element of tolerance in socio-political life of a citizen is wiping out with each passing dusk. Extremist tendencies are growing which has deeply affected the tranquility of society. Anti-Imran Khan opinion is disrespected. In such a polarized society, a middle ground does not exist for a populist follower. Their unconditional loyalty is exploited by the leader. Compromise, which is an essential part of the political process, is seen as a betrayal. In short, populist politics endanger society with polarization, leaving no room for tolerance and co-existence.
A populist does help in engendering political culture in a society. So is the case in Pakistan where people have been engaging in political discourse. Before Imran khan’s popular entry in the political system of the country, political participation by the people was limited to the election day. Even though it is a controlled political consciousness, gradually, it will result in a more sophisticated political culture. However; the strategies to manipulate public opinion and the disinformation to garner maximum support plagues political socialization. The politically conscious citizenry must not fall prey to populist propaganda.
Hence, populism has gained currency in the world and especially in Pakistan. Imran khan’s populist politics has just started and he has impressive public support behind him. Time will tell whether his political stance can bring prosperity for Pakistan or whether it further drowns the chances of prosperity. But one thing is certain that populists’ disinformation tactics will not favor him in the long run. In Abraham Lincoln’s words, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” So far, the political story of the state is pessimistic but there is always a ray of hope.
The writer is a graduate of Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad. He can be reached at [email protected]