Final Year Project

Project Title

Something Old, Something New: Pakistan & Fascism

Description

Retracting from the historical trajectory of Pakistan, fascism and fascist movements have often ascended to power in moments of social, political and economic decay. While some fascist movements have had radical and violent manifestations, others have been subtle within their orientation. These manifestations, whether violent or subtle, oftentimes have provided interest groups and stakeholders with an ideological anchorage such as Islamization to bring smaller and larger segments of the society together as an ‘imagined community’. They have often also been championed as remedial approaches for the shortcomings of a democratic regime. Contemporarily, in the complex religio-political landscape of Pakistan, with newer imagined projects of fascism, different ideological perspectives and their perceived manifestations, the question ‘Can Pakistan go in a fascist direction?’ is more relevant than ever. Therefore, this essay aims to retract from the historical trajectory of Pakistan and highlight the rise and fall of fascist movements; identify its different perception(s) and manifestation(s)in the modern-day and age; and analyze what the future would look like (fascist or not) if existing structures remain intact.