Dissent in our times

Socrates, the greatest philosopher the world ever produced, took no moment of hesitation in drinking hemlock for something that would lay the foundation upon which the edifice of progress lies in history: dissent. For synthesis to exist, there must be anti-thesis - in the form of dissent - against dogmatic, fallible, and above all, fallacious thesis. Europe achieved its acme by promoting dissent, and so did America. Unfortunately, Pakistan stands among the nations that have deliberately and systematically quelled voices remotely deemed dissenting. In this regard, Aldous Huxley, a prominent philosopher, says “Beware of being too rational. In the country of the insane, the integrated man does not become king. He gets lynched.” The chequered history of Pakistan in terms of dissent testifies to such notions. The mass lynching of Mashal Khan, for example, casts a long shadow on an already repressive society, devoid of any sort of freedom of expression. As a consequence of such atrocities, hardline political and non-state actors - under the garb of religion, have taken root in the polity. From persecuting religious minorities to furthering agendas, they seem to have a virtual carte blanche in almost every matter. Moreover, the sheer silencing of journalists considered unpalatable, incarcerating of politicians found untitled, and murdering of human rights activists deemed unsavory have sent the entire democratic polity of Pakistan to the gallows. No doubt, Pakistan ranks 145 of 157 countries on World Press Freedom Index owing to such a sad state of affairs. Yet, the yield point has not been reached. However, if Pakistan is to stand among the progressive nations, it has to address what lies at the very heart of the problem: dissent. Only by promoting anti-thesis can Pakistan find its synthesis. In summary, although freedom of expression has been the Achilles' heel of Pakistan, it can yet achieve its zenith by inculcating tolerance for dissent.