Barrister Usman Ali, Ph.D.
The culture of humiliation, abuse, and hatred that Imran Khan introduced into politics has now come knocking at his own door. Shoes, ink, eggs, slurs, and the filth of social media , the very weapons once honed against opponents , are today targeting his own family. History’s greatest lesson is that no one learns from it, and Pakistan has fallen prey to this tragedy.
“Respect others, and you will be respected.” This simple principle underpins human society. Yet in Pakistan’s politics, where insults and character assassination have replaced reason, this principle is trampled at every step.
Centuries ago, Paul the Apostle (Christian tradition) warned the Galatians of Anatolia (modern Turkey),: “You reap what you sow.” That eternal truth has echoed across languages and cultures , the seeds of hatred always return as bitter harvests. Islam teaches the same: every soul bears the burden of its deeds. Yet humanity keeps repeating its mistakes.
The egg hurled at Aleema Khan yesterday is not a petty prank but a symbol , the echo of a political culture Imran Khan himself fostered. For decades, Pakistani politics was harsh, but not humiliating. Shoes, ink, and eggs were not weapons of choice, nor was public shaming of families. Even when rhetoric turned harsh, apologies followed and coalitions were rebuilt. Democracy survived because some boundaries of decency held. Under Khan, those boundaries were shattered.
From the start, Khan played on religious sentiment, giving politics a moral veneer though his own ethics stood on shaky ground. He treated opponents not as rivals but as enemies, branding them “thieves” and “dacoits.” His slogans poisoned the atmosphere; his speeches normalized mockery and degradation. Journalists who disagreed were branded “traitors” or “paid hacks.” His followers echoed these slurs so persistently that abuse became the lexicon of his movement. On social media, vilification became his party’s identity.
When faced with a no-confidence vote, Khan escalated further, threatening that dissenters would suffer “social humiliation”: their families dishonored, their children shunned in schools, and “no one would marry their children.” In Pakistan’s social fabric, such words go beyond politics ,they amount to social death. His supporters obliged, harassing lawmakers in public, often in front of their families.
Inevitably, this culture of indecency spread. Shoes were thrown at Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif, ink splashed on Khawaja Asif. Outside the hospital of a dying Kulsoom Nawaz, PTI activists created a disgraceful spectacle. Even at the Kaaba and the Prophet’s Mosque ﷺ, PTI workers hurled abusive slogans at government officials, crossing every boundary of decency. Abroad, too, PTI activists targeted politicians and judges with vile insults. Online, no institution or individual was spared.
Most troubling of all, these acts were never condemned. PTI celebrated them as “public anger.” Imran Khan himself hailed abusive followers as his “tigers” and “lions.” When PTI workers slapped a TV reporter, Khan smiled and quipped that the journalist should “fix his reporting.”
Repeated warnings were given: this culture would not remain one-sided. The weapon of humiliation would one day cut inward. But warnings were dismissed as weakness. And now the inevitable has arrived: Aleema Khan, in a public place, struck with an egg. A small incident perhaps, but a clear symbol that the seeds had borne fruit.
History confirms this pattern. The French Revolution devoured its own leaders. South Asian politics has often weakened democracy through cycles of vendetta and slander. Yet every generation believes it will somehow remain safe from the poison it unleashes. History proves them wrong every time.
Today, Pakistan stands at a crossroads. Either this cycle will intensify , insult for insult, humiliation for humiliation , or it will be broken. The responsibility lies not with one leader or party alone, but with the entire political class, the media, and society. Without restoring dignity and respect, politics cannot survive.
This moment carries a bitter lesson: respect others, and you will be respected. Those who spread venom online must be discouraged. Disagree ,but with reason and civility, not with slurs and mockery. For the seeds of hatred sown by Imran Khan will not end with eggs. Left unchecked, they may turn into bullets. And once the politics of bullets begins, no one remains safe.
The time to choose is now. Do we want to build a society of dignity for future generations, or condemn them to reap only crops of humiliation? If hatred is not curbed, Pakistan’s politics , and its society ,will be destroyed by its own poison.
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