When Power Loses Control of the Narrative

By Sabee Kazmi

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.
Assalam-o-Alaikum, dosto.

Over the last few days, something familiar has started again — the kind of pattern Pakistan knows too well. The same familiar faces, part of the regime-change project, have quietly landed in London. Closed-door meetings, “consultations,” photo-ops over tea — you know the drill. This time, though, there’s a twist: talk of rethinking the relationship between the establishment and Shehbaz Sharif. His chapter in the so-called Board of Peace saga might be closing. Big question now — what’s next?

And just as these meetings pick up steam abroad, here at home the staging begins. The arrest of Ins Rizvi is being prepared like a movie premiere — full media coverage, ready-made headlines. In the Iman Mazari case, even lawyers — usually quiet — seem uneasy. Islamabad Police have now been barred from entering the High Court. And behind the scenes, the game has shifted: from influencing judges to directly buying journalists. Yes, that’s where we are — journalists being “offered packages” to carry someone else’s truth.

Meanwhile, beyond Pakistan’s borders, the world’s moving fast. Iranian Shahed drones have surrounded the U.S. carrier Abraham Lincoln, issuing warnings. Britain, the UAE, and Jordan — all suddenly alert. These things don’t happen in isolation. Power shifts in one region always echo somewhere else.

But the real story — the one that truly matters — is unfolding here, inside Pakistan.

A Movement That No Longer Waits for Permission

Have you seen the crowd scenes around Suhail Afridi’s convoy? I’ve covered politics for years, but this energy — this raw, unfiltered emotion — you can’t fake it. People lining the roads as far as the eye can see, some crying, reaching out to touch the car. Thousands chanting one name, over and over: Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.

And you know what’s striking? Khan keeps telling everyone to stay calm, to stay peaceful. But the ground reality — especially after what happened in Tirah Valley — is spinning out of control. Even PTI leaders like Junaid Akbar are publicly saying: “Hurt one of us, and we’ll respond directly.” That’s not bluster anymore. That’s warning.

Look at what’s happening in Swat, Chakdara, Mardan, Malakand — these aren’t regular rallies. This is momentum. Worker conventions turning into marches overnight. Convoys growing city to city. These are signs that the movement doesn’t need permission anymore. And behind it all — anger. Gaza, the Board of Peace, the quiet alignments with Netanyahu’s allies — people are done staying silent. These crowds don’t look like protests now. They look like a preview.

Tirah Valley: Where the Script Fell Apart

The Tirah Valley operation — this is where the script started to collapse. Local jirga members who signed documents about displacement are now going public, saying they were coerced, threatened, even disappeared. And now, the state’s circulating unsigned “agreements” online to make it look like everyone agreed.

But the old tricks aren’t working. In the past, polished PR campaigns — soldiers helping flood victims, patriotic songs, disaster footage — softened hearts. This time? Nothing. The images aren’t landing. The Governor’s Rule threat failed. Suhail Afridi himself said it collapsed under public pressure.

Now, the people are ahead of the state. Fully mobilized. The establishment, desperate, is calling journalists to “clarify” things — pretending that the Board of Peace was just a government thing. But that lie fell apart when a senior military spokesperson slipped and confirmed what everyone already knew: the involvement was real.

And now the hush-money starts — media “packages,” ad campaigns, incentives — all to bury the story. But the panic behind it all says everything.

The Youth Factor: Fear of a Generation

If you want to understand the establishment’s sleepless nights, look at Pakistan’s youth. Gen Z is done. They’re jobless, angry, tech-savvy — and fully tuned in. Their loyalty doesn’t shift with paid coverage. They’re aligned with PTI, with a sense of defiance that power can neither buy nor censor.

And now, contradictions are piling up. Changing the voting age, reshaping political participation — none of it is convincing. Officials can’t even agree on who’s making these calls.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif is back in London — after Davos, after the UAE trips — and guess what the agenda is? Damage control. Both domestic rebellion and foreign embarrassment. And here at home, the frenzy continues. The arrest of Ins Rizvi turned into an overblown headline operation — meant to “prove control.” But even pro-government voices admit it’s another optical distraction. Statements are being extracted. Public opinion is being “managed.” Serious question though: for how long?

Journalism and the Line of Conscience

Let’s talk about journalism — and let’s be honest.
Talking to the establishment, reporting both sides — that’s not the issue. The problem starts when journalists become megaphones for the powerful. When they carry threats instead of questions.

Pakistani journalism didn’t start collapsing yesterday. It began the day Imran Khan’s name was erased from TV screens, while personal allegations ran 24/7. And what did most senior journalists do? Stayed silent. That silence is haunting them now.

Because today, that moral test is back. You can meet officials. You can gather information. But if you turn propaganda into truth — you’ve crossed the line.

Why the Wicked Still Look Comfortable

People ask me this all the time: If oppression is wrong, then why do oppressors still feel comfortable, powerful — even untouchable?
The Qur’an has the answer. In Surah Al-Anfal (8:42), Allah explains that destruction only comes after clear proof — so no one can claim ignorance. In Surah Fatir, He reminds us: if punishment came instantly, no living being would survive.

History repeats the same pattern — Pharaoh, Aad, Thamud, the people of Lot — all had power, all had warnings, all had time. Justice looked delayed, but it wasn’t. It was being written in real time.

A Society That Finally Sees

Now look at Pakistan — today versus four years ago.
Four years ago, people said reports of disappearances were “conspiracy theories.” They believed the army would never shoot its own people. That illusion broke on November 26 — in Muridke, then Islamabad.

The myths are gone. The idea that popularity can be “manufactured,” that courts are neutral, that elections are untouchable — all shattered. Even attacks on dissidents in London are now under British investigation, with digital links traced across multiple incidents. The world is watching more closely than before.

The Countdown Has Begun

Globally, the script is shifting too. Iran’s drones surrounding a U.S. carrier, China reshaping its defense structure, the West losing its grip — everything is changing fast. And in the middle of it, Pakistan stands — an establishment losing control at home while scrambling abroad for legitimacy.

And that’s the truth, dosto: the public now sees. The narrative has cracked. The mask is off. You can silence voices, buy airtime, delete footage — but once a society begins to see the truth, there’s no going back.

History always plays out one way:
When power loses control of its own story, the countdown to change has already begun.