Now, with Zardari removed from the front seat and his colourful interior minister, with his equally colourful neckties gone, it sure seems like the traffic of reality hits a new glitch every day. No, this is not my opinion but the ones who wanted the people to shell out their vote - this was the perfect piñata to beat. Roll the tape back to let us say March or April 2013, and it was all because of a careless man called Zardari that this country was in such a mess. The mouthpieces of the holy government shrug their shoulders and act helpless and hapless, reminding ordinary citizens how this is a fact of life. A prevailing sense of insecurity looms over the shoulders of many, not knowing if they will make it back to their homes from school or work. Peaceful citizens are afraid to assemble in their places of worship or celebrate certain days without constant intimidation.

What an irony that, in this day and age, the same country is under constant threat and fear from its co-religionists and the ‘misguided’ citizens. If this narrative sounds very utopian and as if it is taken out of some movie script, then I am afraid and very respectfully say that we are enjoying make-believe independence. There needs to be access to the basic necessities of life like food, water, clothing, utilities, access to education and the potential of elevating life on the basis of economic opportunities, where competition is fair and innovation thrives, where law is respected and justice is truly blind. Yet, very rarely, people reflect what it truly means to be independent, to lead one’s life without fear, persecution, exploitation and within the ambit and framework of law - all constitutionally protected freedoms, such as religion, assembly and free speech, without any negative influence of the state or any other actor. Independence is celebrated with utmost fervour and people get tangled with clichés, catchphrases, patriotic songs, couplets, slogans and dialogues. When you look at it very closely, it is hollow and, at least in this scribe’s unpopular opinion, a brazen eyewash. The religious angle was exploited to the core at that juncture and, needless to say, it serves as a rallying cry till this day.

It was perceived that when the British were going to vacate India, the Muslims would face the hegemony and persecution from a more vocal and dominant Hindu majority. I said it before, I will say it again: if you were to open up a textbook, it will give you the elaborate details on why the Muslims of the subcontinent ended up demanding a separate territory.

Carcass cry of fear