Though the title — set against the woes overwhelming public life in the country — might sound oxymoronic, it is nevertheless not without merit in imagined paradoxical reality. For, in a parallel or hypothetical Pakistan, the ruled would find their country's affairs managed in strict compliance with democratic and constitutional ideals, and moreover, enjoy sustainable prosperity, albeit one marked by complicity, monotony and a lack of novelty.

The people are so content with the government and so smug about it that they avoid bothering it. This public ennui stems from successive governments' overly protective stance, combined with prolonged peace and prosperity, which has paradoxically fostered stagnation and a lack of vital stimuli. In their euphoric melancholy and as a gesture of courtesy, the public has begun to show reluctance in sharing the hardships they face. Instead, they compose odes and hymns, expressing gratitude to their rulers — whether selected or the........

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