O scar Wilde [in The Importance of Being Earnest] said that “whenever people talk about the weather, I always feel quite certain that they mean something else.” One can similarly notice that whenever people in Pakistan talk about politics, they say something else. The Islamic Republic is one of the rare countries where talk shows on politics are aired on major TV channels during primetime hours.
The viewing public prefers these heated, violent and passionate confrontations over soap operas, comedy programmes and or music videos. As a result, almost every citizen has become a political commentator, an economic analyst or a foreign affairs expert in his/ her social circle – no matter if consists of office colleagues, members of kitty party, regulars at a roadside tea stall, or friends and followers on social networks. This reminds one of Umberto Eco’s observation on the effects of internet and social media sites: with the availability of these platforms, a man of limited intelligence, who never dared utter his opinions in a bar, is posting ludicrous comments with great confidence.
At some private gatherings, the main discussion revolves around political parties, national leaders, the country’s constitution, the electoral system, the parliamentary proceedings, among those who never made an effort to cast their votes or attended a political rally, took part in a candidate’s campaign or studied a party’s election manifesto/ programme. Yet they argue vehemently, loudl.