The Roman poet Juvenal warned long ago that rulers could pacify the masses by providing them with food and entertainment. In Pakistan today, as we enter February 2026, this ancient strategy appears to be playing out once again, with remarkable precision.
Lahore is staging quite the spectacle. After more than twenty years of enforced silence, the Basant festival has roared back from February 6 to 8, flooding the skies with thousands of colourful kites. Families crowd rooftops in Mochi Gate and Old Lahore, markets hum with the sale of kites, strings, and sweets, hotels are packed to capacity, and the local economy receives a timely and generous injection of cash.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who lifted the ban late last year, has declared public holidays, imposed strict safety rules, and proudly described it as a celebration of Punjabi culture and the arrival of spring. No more deadly glass-coated strings, just good, clean, regulated fun. It is all very vibrant, very photogenic, and very convenient. The cameras stay focused on Punjab, the headlines stay cheerful, and the rest of the country can be politely ignored for a few days.
Yet, while the kites soar gracefully above Lahore, large parts of Pakistan remain trapped in far harsher realities.
In the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than seventy thousand people, mostly women and children, were forced to flee their homes in January 2026. Mosque announcements warned residents to evacuate by January 23 ahead of a possible military operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Families braved heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, travelling on foot or in overcrowded vehicles. Many spent nights in the open or in makeshift camps. Local officials reported over ten thousand families registering as displaced. Roads were blocked, and access to food and medical aid remained limited.
The federal government, through Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, denied that any large-scale operation was planned, claiming only routine intelligence-based actions. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, meanwhile, expressed outrage and accused the centre of imposing harsh conditions on the people. This official confusion left thousands stranded in the bitter cold, exposing a clear failure in coordinated governance and humanitarian response.
True national progress demands that every province, every valley, and every community receive equal attention and respect
In Islamabad, human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested on January 23, 2026, while travelling to court. The very next day, a sessions court sentenced them to seventeen years in prison under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.
Their crime was posting on social media in solidarity with victims of enforced disappearances and in criticism of state policies. International organisations, including the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the International Commission of Jurists, have condemned the verdict as judicial harassment and a serious violation of free speech. The couple remains in Adiala Jail.
Freedom of speech continues to face mounting pressure across the country. Laws such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act are routinely used against journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who dare to question power. Arrests for online posts have become commonplace, breeding fear and widespread self-censorship.
Enforced disappearances remain a painful and persistent reality, especially in Balochistan. Human rights groups have documented thousands of cases over the years, with families left in anguish, waiting endlessly for news of their loved ones. Many believe security forces bear responsibility, though authorities continue to deny any involvement.
The situation in Balochistan escalated dramatically in late January 2026 when the Balochistan Liberation Army carried out coordinated attacks on schools, banks, markets, and military installations. Dozens of civilians and security personnel lost their lives. In response, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1, which concluded by early February with claims that two hundred and sixteen militants had been killed.
While the military has declared success in dismantling networks, the deeper issues of marginalisation, lack of development, and political grievances remain unresolved, ensuring that the cycle of violence continues.
Punjab may be shining brightly with events like Basant, and Lahore certainly benefits from the attention and investment. However, the prosperity of Punjab cannot be confined to its major cities.
True national progress demands that every province, every valley, and every community receive equal attention and respect. Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh deserve the same level of development, security, and protection of rights as the more visible parts of the country. Neglect in one region eventually undermines the whole nation.
Festivals and entertainment may offer temporary distraction, but they cannot hide the deeper problems of displacement, imprisonment for dissent, ongoing disappearances, and unresolved insurgencies. The people of Pakistan can clearly distinguish between a colourful kite soaring in the Lahore sky and the silent suffering of a displaced family in the snow or a voice silenced in prison.
It is time for leaders to address these realities with honesty and decisive action. Only through justice, equitable development, and genuine respect for human rights can Pakistan truly unite and prosper as one nation.