This is August 2024. From the Rawalpindi Conspiracy’s Faiz to the Top City’s Faiz, the country has come a long way to celebrate its 77th anniversary of Independence. With a slowed-down internet, caused by the ‘excessive use of VPNs’ and not triggered by the government-induced firewall, the youth must be wondering about the nature of these celebrations. Out of curiosity, I asked the young man sitting next to me on the metro bus—how was he celebrating the month of Pakistan’s Independence?
“What is there to celebrate?” was his immediate response. In a robotic manner, he exclaimed—”Should I celebrate clean drinking water? Freedom of speech or other fundamental rights? Job opportunities? Access to justice? Provision of basic amenities? Morality in politics? Rule of law? Law and order? Meritocracy? My hand-to-mouth family? Growing economy or worldwide respect accorded to the green passport?” The young man told me that he had lost $950 since the PTA started ‘upgrading the web management system’. “Sir, there is only one thing that we can possibly celebrate in 2024. We are alive…!!!” “But what about the Olympic gold medal?” I asked. “Aren’t we celebrating Arshad Nadeem’s unprecedented feat?” The young man smiled and said: “Wait for a few weeks for Arshad Nadeem’s leaked audio or video tapes to surface.”
I almost missed a couple of heartbeats…!!!!
The ensuing speechless mode instantly took me to around two millennia back. It was July AD 64. The Roman emperor Nero had allegedly set fire to his imperial capital and started fiddling. Anthony Barret, a Roman historian, tells us that the Great Fire of Rome had certain long-term damaging effects on the empire. One of the consequences was the fall of Nero and the end of the dynasty that began with Julius Caesar. Another view is that Nero did not just keep ‘fiddling’ at the imperial villa in Antium, around forty miles south of Rome, but after learning about the seriousness of the matter, he ‘assumed a hands-on role in fighting the flames, placing himself in danger as he rushed from building to burning building. It was to no avail, but he did at least make the effort.’ Seemingly, it was Nero’s bad luck that portrayed him as a mere ‘fiddler’ while his city was in flames. He fell ‘victim to something as prevalent in antiquity as it is today—false news.’
“Sir, you are not listening,” the young man said with a plain look on his face. “No, I am listening. I just dozed off, sorry, young man, old age, you know.” As my forty-minute journey was about to end, I wanted to wind up the discussion. The young man insisted, and I had to tell him what I was thinking during his intervention. I told him about Nero’s cruel response to the Great Fire. To my surprise, he was well-versed with the subject. He informed me that during the Fire, Nero had opened other locations, including major public buildings and even his own personal estates, while initiating schemes to encourage reconstruction through government-investor partnerships. He even recovered the bodies at his own expense. Most importantly, he initiated new measures to combat a recurrence. I was impressed. “Do you have time for a quick cup of tea?” I asked the young man. “Yes, but only if you would pay the bill.” A couple of hundred rupees that a well-educated young man couldn’t afford...!! Surely, I was confused when I said—of course, I would pay, come along.
The young man was speaking, and I was all ears. “The country’s economy has been set on fire. Political uncertainty is touching new heights. Basic amenities such as electricity and gas have become cherished goals. Invisible walls have been erected around the education and health sectors. Climate Change is neglected. Population growth is unchecked. Collective consciousness is replaced with individualism. Morality has given way to acute indifference. Parliament seems crippled while the Judiciary is on the defensive. Traders have refused to pay taxes as the number of sit-ins increases on various economic and social pretexts. I don’t know about the digital terrorists, but the bona fide freelancers are on the run. The Foreign Office says no to trade with India, not realising that one could come out of a bilateral arrangement unilaterally but could not recommence a bilateral arrangement unilaterally.”
The young man continued. “The results of the 8th February elections made a mockery of democratic norms. Not making a distinction between the law and the constitution, the matter relating to the reserved seats has been made controversial. The discussion about Form 45 and Form 47 has become idiomatic. ECP and the government are defying the Apex Court’s verdicts. Bills are being tabled to counter the Supreme Court’s majority decisions. Conversely, no party in the skeleton coalition government is inclined to take responsibility for Islamabad’s actions or reactions. In a recent televised address to the ‘distressed’ nation, a hale and hearty Nawaz Sharif recounted his previous achievements ad seriatim; praised the good work being done by his brother and daughter; and expressed willingness to deliver yet again if given a fourth chance. However, he desisted from owing the government in Islamabad as nowhere did he mention ‘our government’ or the ‘PML’s present government’?”
I was really impressed by that young man’s understanding of the issues facing today’s Pakistan. Gripping the small green & white flag tightly in my hand, I enquired. “So, what are you prepared to do now?” “Anything but celebrating my independence”—he responded. We finished tea, exchanged our cellphone numbers, and said goodbye to each other. On my way back home, his last words were still buzzing in my head. “Sir, Rome is still burning, but ironically, no one is seen fiddling.”
Najm us Saqib
The writer is a former Ambassador of Pakistan and author of eight books in three languages. He can be reached at najmussaqib1960@msn.com
