The Great Game Revisited: Is Pakistan Ready for the Next Round?

 The Great Game Revisited: Is Pakistan Ready for the Next Round?

Zabir Saeed Badar 

"This morning, while browsing my social media, I came across a post by a senior bureaucrat discussing Pakistan's current political situation. I usually avoid engaging in political debates, but this time I felt compelled to respond, and here’s why."

No one can deny that you, like many of us, are a concerned and dedicated Pakistani, but your words seem to drift towards idealism rather than practical realities. We all pray that God sends us leaders who will rescue the nation from its difficulties, but let’s face it—where will such leaders come from? The moon? Mars? The reality is that they will emerge from within our own country. Given the state of affairs we see unfolding, where do we think this new leadership will spring from, and what will it look like? We have already experimented with what many considered to be a fresh face—a former cricket hero turned prime minister. We hoped he would bring change, but instead, the experience left us in a worse position, turning the nation into a global joke. As a result, the current leadership, for all its flaws, appears to be our only option right now. If we cling to the hope that tomorrow a miraculous leadership will descend from the heavens, we are not being realistic. Religious leaders, like Maulana Fazlur Rehman, speak of standing up to the powers that be, arguing that parliamentarians shouldn’t bend to their will. Yet, the history is clear: Nawaz Sharif resisted these powers in the past and faced consequences, as did the entire nation. This resulted in political, economic, psychological, and social crises. How long do we intend to keep fighting against these forces? Is there an end to it? Should we sit idly by while the judiciary, increasingly asserting itself over parliament, brings forth another era like Saqib Nisar’s? If such figures return to power, should we not act now to prevent this? If a flood is threatening to destroy everything, should we not at least try to build a dam? The fact is that the entire nation has been polarized by the propaganda engineered by these forces. The media, once a tool to guide us out of such polarization, is now caught in the same divide, a divide that traces its origins back to the same powers that have weakened democratic institutions throughout our history. We must break free from idealism and adopt a realistic approach. We must work with what we have, not yearn for what might never be. Our current government, for all its flaws, is striving to stabilize the system. Recently, the economic situation seems to be stabilizing, and the SCO conference held in Islamabad has helped improve Pakistan’s image on the global stage. Some elements, however, want to spread chaos in the country, aligning with international interests that are closing in on us. If we follow the idealism of leaders like Maulana Fazlur Rehman, we risk dismantling everything we have built, only for some foreign-influenced actors to declare our elections a sham and call for fresh polls. This would pave the way for a new order that fits neatly into the designs of global forces, which are no longer hiding their intentions. We must open our eyes to the fact that no divine intervention will rescue us. The likes of Ayub, Qasim, or Khwarizm Shah are not coming. It is up to us, with wisdom and strategy, to protect our nation from the grasp of this New World Order, and we cannot afford to rely on emotions alone. We need rationality and foresight. At the end of the day, we must be pragmatic. We must safeguard this system at all costs, as it is the only way to secure Pakistan’s future. After all, as our great leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah once managed to create Pakistan with even “the worthless coins” in his pocket, so too must we make do with what we have. Despite the challenges, I maintain hope. Allah commands us not to despair. I firmly believe that if we hold this system together, Pakistan’s future will improve. Though international forces are working tirelessly to destabilize us, as evidenced by incidents across the country, I trust that our current leadership understands the gravity of the situation. They know that now, more than ever, we must unite to save this nation. Sadly, there are still some who fail to see this reality. Instead of thinking for themselves, they continue to act as puppets, playing into the hands of politicians guided by foreign powers. We must wake up to the truth before it’s too late. The only way forward is through unity, realism, and a commitment to securing our future.