Awoken Nation

  These days, PML-N supporters love to say that the military’s “Imran Khan project” has failed miserably. They think the 2018 elections were rigged in Imran’s favor. But what they don’t understand — or choose to ignore — is that the military’s “Nawaz Sharif project” was an even bigger and longer-running experiment. Unlike Imran, who struggled for 26 years to reach the top, Nawaz was gifted power on a silver platter. How Nawaz Sharif Was Created The story of Nawaz Sharif’s political rise is nothing short of remarkable — not because of his talent or political acumen, but because of how carefully the military crafted his journey. Nawaz wasn’t always a politician. He was just a young man from a business family, more interested in cricket than politics. But in the 1980s, General Jilani, the governer of Punjab and a senior figure in the military establishment, saw potential in him. The potential wasn’t political genius — it was obedience. Nawaz was seen as someone who could be molded, co...

  “Divide and rule” has long been a cornerstone of authoritarian and fascist regimes. From ancient empires to modern dictatorships, the tactic of creating internal divisions among the population has been a powerful tool for maintaining control. By fostering distrust, hatred, and conflict among different social, ethnic, religious, or economic groups, rulers ensure that the population remains fragmented and disorganized—too weak and distracted to unite against the regime. This deliberate strategy allows authoritarian governments to suppress dissent, limit freedoms, and deprive people of their basic rights to health, education, and economic stability. Let’s explore how the “divide and rule” principle operates under fascism and dictatorships and the devastating effects it has on the lives of ordinary people. The Strategy of Division At the heart of “divide and rule” lies the manipulation of identity and social divisions. Authoritarian regimes often identify existing fault lines within ...