Muhammad Rauhan Rasheed
Earlier this year, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali schooled a BBC journalist, challenging the developed world’s double standards when questioned about Guyana’s plans for oil drilling amidst the climate crisis. In a display of controlled anger, the President asked the journalist about his right to lecture a country that has kept extensive forests alive, benefiting the world without receiving any value in return. This incident is neither the first time Western media has targeted the Global South for their attempts to emerge from the Global North’s dependency nor is it the first time a leader from the Global South has pushed back against Western hypocrisy. However, this instance has resonated with citizens of the Global South who feel silenced by the West’s condescending approach.
Among these citizens are individuals like myself, who belong to an economically crises-ridden state, Pakistan. Despite being a nuclear power and having years of service for superpowers such as China and especially the U.S., Pakistan constantly finds itself obliged to meet the demands of the Global North. Amid the economic dependency on IMF loans and various countries that view Pakistan as an economic basket case, perpetually pleading for assistance, Pakistanis are desperate for any sign of courage from their leadership. They long for moments, however brief, where their spineless leadership stands up to the West and gives them a taste of their own medicine when Pakistan is ridiculed on the global stage. There’s no denying that Pakistan’s insecurities and weaknesses in various sectors have contributed to this submissive behaviour. Yet, any proud nation must exhibit some backbone when taken for granted and expected to comply at every turn. Nowadays, countries across the Global South are beginning to push back despite their limited capacity to act. They are constantly highlighting Western injustices; however, when the current Pakistani PM, Shehbaz Sharif, openly calls its citizens beggars for seeking foreign loans, there is only bleak hope left that the nation’s pride can be preserved.
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