Success in the real world is never born of illusion. It is first bestowed by the grace of Almighty Allah and then shaped by human effort, competence, and the circumstances of history. Nations that rise do so by confronting their realities, correcting their flaws, and building institutions worthy of trust. Yet, there is a curious pattern that has repeatedly surfaced whenever India faces defeat at the hands of Pakistan, whether in war, diplomacy, or other arenas of national comparison. Instead of engaging with facts and introspection, it often seeks refuge in cinematic fantasies, using films and popular culture to manufacture narratives aimed at denigrating Pakistan. This time, their target through films is the Lyari constituency of Karachi. Propaganda, however, loses its potency when confronted with documented truth. A serious examination of India’s own internal challenges, particularly the use of crime-related resources in its electoral politics, tells a far more sobering story-one supported not by rhetoric, but by India’s own official reports, courts, and watchdog institutions.

The nexus between crime and politics in India is neither speculative nor incidental; it is systemic and long acknowledged. From localised strongmen to sophisticated syndicates with transnational reach, criminal networks have entrenched themselves deeply within the political process. Their involvement ranges from financing election campaigns to enforcing electoral outcomes and securing post-election rewards. The most authoritative exposure of this phenomenon came through the Vohra Committee Report of 1993, an official document commissioned by the Government of India. Drawing upon intelligence from the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Intelligence Bureau, RAW, and revenue enforcement agencies,........

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