In today’s politics, “truth” is not claimed with modesty, unfortunately, it is rather felt with great intensity. The post-truth era has transformed the nature of narrative building where visceral or emotional appeals play a greater role in shaping a political reality than rational or factual urges.

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The transition is apparent from the political jargon of various parties in Pakistan and elsewhere. It seems the credibility of Pakistan’s domestic politics has been reduced to a hilarious traitor versus traitor musical chair amidst the economic and climatic despairs. Facts are obscured by personal beliefs, filter bubbles, and partisan silos. It is not relativism, to say, but something more complex that is beyond the basic perils of right and wrong.

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The post-truth philosophical strand does not stipulate that truth is dead, or we are living in the age of lies, rather it explains the extent to which truth is often been manipulated, and facts are distorted to create quantum paradoxes—delusions. It uses the agnotological lens to deconstruct the nature of today’s political realism. The U.S invasion of Iraq, under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction, is an oft-cited example of such a fallacy that did not resonate with the objective reality, yet the facts were purposefully fabricated and circulated to create an illusion.

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Perhaps, the key proponents of narrative building in this era have remained the conspiracy theories and engineered silences. Consider two parallel narratives that of the Imran khan led PTI and the incumbent joint parties, the PDM. The former accused the latter of being installed by the United States because of a so-called conspiracy that ousted Khan back in April 2022, ostensibly aligned with the United States notorious regime change policy. While the latter accused Khan of being a foreign-funded and planted agent whose alleged intentions are to undermine the democratic institutions and state itself. Yet, either indictment is up in the air.

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Both narratives lack substantial evidence, but people, despite facing harsh economic and climatic challenges, are compelled to become active consumers of these elitist tales. People are constrained to believe in the “the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence” dictum. As reports show, the current consumer price index has nearly surged 25 percent as compared to the previous year while the recent tropical rains have almost killed 1000 people and affected approximately another 33 million across the country. Still, the public doesn’t bother with these facts. Then, we can realize the “strategic ploy” and “active construct” whereby ignorance is frequently produced to manipulate the masses to keep them unaware of their plight. Truth is still there to haunt us if we realize it, but it has lost the sanctity to manifest itself against all odds.

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Truth being, the advent of social media, as a strong and unchecked medium of information, has reduced the quality of information wherein “the wisdom of the crowd” rules instead of the mainstream media which, to an extent, is regulated by facts and informed arguments. Today, bipartisan opinions and blustering speculations have more public reach than ever. Research shows that “the social media platforms prompt the user to share a moral reaction that is relatable and acceptable to one’s peers” regardless of its authenticity. It provides a relative advantage for politicians to put forth their populist plots more effectively. Indeed, the overrun of narrative and counternarratives through political gaslighting has utterly confused the masses to comprehend the ground realities equitably.

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The politicization of issues instead of issue-oriented politics triggers travesty that perpetuates crises. It is a deceptive mechanism that today’s politicians often employ to divert public attention from pressing issues. For instance, an excessive media hype was created around the political cases registered against the respective oppositions by the federal, Punjab, and KP governments compared to the devastation created by floods in the country. The inadequate response from state authorities and the lack of flood relief programs have made food crises and the spread of diseases inevitable. Unless politicians agree on the common facts and issues, and devise their strategies to cope with immediate challenges, there is no way out.

The antidote to the post-truth narrative building is the incorporation of rational debates in policies based on the ground realities—objective facts. It is something through which politicians can win genuine popular support instead of relying on manipulative tactics that only harness public outrage.

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Author: Shujaat Amin. M.Phil. Scholar from Area study center, QAU, Islamabad. Have keen interests in politics, international relations, foreign policy, and Sociology. Twitter: @shujaat_amin

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