The internationally renowned political science author Francis Fukuyama wrote a book titled “The End of History” whose basic idea was that “liberal democracy and the market economy” are the essence of all human history, and now no better ideas seem to appear in the history of humankind—meaning that ideologically the “end of history” has occurred. The famous liberal Muslim scholar Fareed Zakaria, in “The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad” said that illiberal democracies are obstructing the path of human freedoms; wherever democracy is not liberal, wherever democratic freedoms do not exist, the circle of liberty will continue to shrink.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, in her scholarly book “Reconciliation” written before her martyrdom, proposed a reconciliatory method for the survival of democracy and the progress of society by ending internal conflicts and institutional tussles. Later, she even entered into a formal agreement with the establishment and General Musharraf to deal with terrorism, which was a practical example of reconciliation. Unfortunately, neither the political nor the military circles of the country accepted this formula of reconciliation from the heart—and today the situation is such that in Contradiction-land (Tazadistan) politics is dying. If Fukuyama were a Contradiction-lander, he would have written “The End of Politics?” and its basic idea would have been that if, in the match between Zubair Jhara and Anoki, Anoki becomes “out,” then what match remains? If Sultan Rahi is killed on the street, then against whom will Mustafa Qureshi appear as the villain in films? Politics also runs on heroes and villains; if the villain does not remain, then the hero also becomes irrelevant. Just as the causes of the decline of the Mughal Empire were studied and taught, or as the stories of the fall of the Great Roman Empire are narrated today, similarly we all are equally responsible for the end of Contradiction-land’s politics.

Politicians, the public, the military, and the media—everyone has either continuously bombarded the Taj Mahal of politics or conspired from within to weaken this palace. The freedom of politics is conditional upon democracy, but every politician deviated from the principles of liberal democracy—kept one set of rules for himself and another for his opponent. Such democracy and such politics were bound to decline.

I openly support democracy and politics, and I often cover the mistakes of politics by saying that the powerful never give them the time to organise politics, bring merit into the party, or prepare for good governance. But who will answer this question: neither Imran Khan ever went to the National Assembly, the biggest house of public mandate, nor did Shehbaz Sharif or Nawaz Sharif. During his government, Imran Khan never felt the need to organise his party or take internal advice, and today Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif feel no such need either.

The People’s Party has no space visible in central Punjab. The PTI has no organisation at all in Punjab; and if they have vote-power, then street-power is nowhere to be seen. Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI and other parties are pressure groups— not popular parties in Punjab. If in such a situation one does not recite Fatiha upon the current death of politics, then what else should one do?

Now the issue to discuss is whether the end of politics is a good omen or a bad omen. The famous Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet W.B. Yeats was once asked: what is the need for politics at all? He replied that politics is related to breathing and to living; if one wants to live, politics is necessary. The questioner looked at Yeats in surprise and asked what politics has to do with breathing. Yeats smiled and said: the first need of a newborn child is breath, and if it does not receive oxygenated breath, it will die at that very moment. To maintain and provide oxygenated breath, one needs an environment free of carbon dioxide—meaning a clean and pure environment is necessary. And for a clean environment, one needs suitable governmental policy. For suitable governmental policy, politics is necessary. Thus even for your living and breathing, politics is essential.

The powerful and influential 20th-century thinker Jean-Paul Sartre, who gave the philosophy of existentialism, is associated with a famous incident regarding Pakistan. A government intellectual visited him in Paris, and Sartre asked him about the situation of politics in Pakistan. The Pakistani government writer shrugged his shoulders and said, “I am a man of literature; I have nothing to do with politics.” It is said Sartre refused to speak further with him, saying: “Why talk to a writer who does not know his country’s politics? Politics is the mother of all problem-solving.”

Though at present the end of politics is visible in Contradiction-land, whatever method or system comes to run a country of 250 million people—whether created by a non-political mind or not—history will call it politics.

Politics cannot be separated from life. Now that a new era is beginning, the political institutions, political parties, parliament, cabinet and style of governance should not only be deeply reconsidered but must be given priority as the most important project for the improvement of the country. In the last 70 years, politics, political parties, and prime ministers have been attacked so much that their bodies have fewer flesh-parts and more holes. When the rulers who run the country—whether government or opposition—are so wounded and bleeding, how will they manage politics, and how will the country run?

The establishment may run the country for a few years by injecting an energy-booster, but eventually, one day the country must be handed back to politicians—then the same complaints will arise that have long become the identity of political people. Corruption and bad or incompetent governance are two major defects attached to the name of politicians; they can progress only by addressing the causes behind these allegations.

There is no need to say that the PML-N and PPP governing alliance has accepted the end of PTI’s politics because they have been given a clear indication that the establishment possesses such clear evidence proving that Imran Khan and his party are intent on breaking and damaging the national armed forces. The N-league has been made to believe that PTI is in no way acceptable to the establishment. It seems that N has accepted this agenda exactly as its political fate and its only available option. Now both the establishment and N-league agree that PTI’s politics should be eliminated entirely. But the question is: if the spice of politics loses its chili-pepper, then how long will the Noon (N-league) salt continue to remain effective? Without an opposition, even the government looks hollow. The responsibility of keeping politics alive now rests on Noon; otherwise politics will indeed die.