Silence in Democracy

Since 2009 we think we have democracy in Pakistan. I spent these 15 years to study how silence is often created through a combination of political, social, legal, and psychological mechanisms aimed at suppressing dissent and limiting free expression. Here are key methods by which this silence is cultivated in Pakistan:

1. Censorship

From 2009 to 2024 the state controlled and heavily influenced media outlets, ensuring that only government-approved narratives are disseminated. Independent journalism was suppressed, making it difficult for alternative viewpoints to be expressed on electronic news channels. People began to use alternate online portals, but access to information through the internet during past 15 years was tightly controlled through firewalls, blocking of social media platforms, or limiting certain types of multiple media content. Governments one after another implemented laws that criminalize speech deemed to be critical of the current policies and practices, including broad anti-defamation, sedition, or terrorism laws imposed on freedom of speech and right to express.

2. Surveillance

The parties in power have been working with non-democratic regimes; often employing extensive surveillance on the citizens, tracking their communications, monitoring social media, and collecting personal data to identify potential dissent. Even the people of voice fear of being monitored, and it lead mostly to self-censorship, avoiding criticism of the policies and practices in both public and private conversations. It surely happens when people are posing religious allegations that is the most dangerous form of creating silence through persecution and violent extremism.

3. Propaganda and Punishment

A country where people neither apply critical thinking nor research before spreading any news, it was much easier to produce and disseminate propaganda to shape public opinion and suppress dissent. Nationalism, fear of external enemies, or exaggerated threats of instability are common themes used in the campaigns launched by invisible agents. Dissenters may be publicly labeled as traitors, foreign agents, or enemies of the state, creating social stigma that discourages others from speaking out.

The leadership used intimidation tactics like threats, harassment, or smear campaigns to silence critics. Public figures, intellectuals, and activists were often targeted. Dissenters were often arrested without due process or detained for long periods without trial. Charges may be fabricated to justify their imprisonment. In extreme cases, they resort to physical violence, including torture or extrajudicial killings, to intimidate those who speak out. Courts are found under the regime's control, ensuring that any legal challenge to state power or abuses is quickly dismissed or penalized.

4. Suppression of Civil Society

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups were restricted or banned by the people in power using and manipulating the laws. Laws are often deliberately vague, allowing for arbitrary interpretation to target dissent, creating a climate of legal uncertainty. This intervention damaged grassroots organization and prevented the public accountability. Even the political parties that opposed the power regime were outlawed, harassed, or co-opted, ensuring that dissent cannot be organized politically. The constant threat of punishment has created a pervasive culture of fear where citizens feel hesitant to trust each other, further silencing voices that might otherwise criticize the regime. Non-democratic regimes rewrite the narrative of history and propagate to justify their power and suppress discussions of past injustices, making it harder for citizens to organize around shared grievances.

5. Social and Economic Pressures

Economic warfare was hyped, the elite being carefree, the poor being oppressed. Middle class remains silent mostly because they fear to face economic consequences such as losing their jobs, being blacklisted, or having their businesses boycotted by state influence. In such conditions the economically empowered group convinces the families to put pressure to silence any disagreement, or critique coming from the new generation; even the revolutionary minds surrender where they fear that their sociopolitical views will negatively affect those around them.