Absurdity of ridiculing political rivals.

Byline: Khalid Mahmood Rasool

As if previous plethora of narrations for ridiculing his political rival was not enough, Moulana Fazal Ur Rahman has coined another one for his arch rival Imran Khan. While addressing to the charged public gathering at his so called Azadi March at Islamabad, he hurled a new insult by calling him Gorbachev of Pakistan. It was saddening to watch how our polity can endlessly reinvent its hatred to ridicule its opponents and charge the chanting public.

The trend is not an exclusivity of Moulana alone. It has rather been extensively practiced by the Imran Khan as well in the past throughout his drive to oust his archrival PMLN government. Moulana has always been one of his favourite targets. Opponents of Imran Khan other than Moulana have been equally generous as well to reciprocate by coining even more extreme and provocative narratives like 'agent of Jews', 'protegees of establishment' etc.

This trend has snow balled over the time. Political differences have taken more and more provocative and offensive narration in our recent history. Sadly, it has become a new norm now. Social media offers an unchecked and free for all platform to utter and hurl any absurdity one can think of. Barrage of daily TV talk shows and typical formats of these programs studded with opponents are permanent digital battle grounds to practice variety of provocative and offensive narratives. Holier than thou is the end objective of all political participants coming from ruling or opposition parties. Whosoever can instigate and entangle the participants to a higher level is rewarded by ratings by the public and a chance to survive in otherwise a turbulent media industry.

Current trend of coining provocative narratives for the rivals is not new. It has been widely practiced in the past as well ; during 80's and 90's terms like 'Security Risk, Traitors, Corrupt, and Mr. Ten Percent' etc. were common insults for each other's rivals. Similar narratives were in vogue In 60's and 70's as well. Zulifqar Ali Bhutto had a special flair for his opponents in his public rallies by hurling many insults. Though he hardly spared any of his political opponents from ridiculing in public but Asghar Khan, then a formidable challenge to his political supremacy during 70's used to be his favourite target. Asghar Khan didn't obliged him with an equally befitting ridicule, however, he used to express his utmost desire to hang him publicly at Kohala (AJK) bridge...