“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” — George Orwell

After hearing of the postponement of the long march to Islamabad by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, I posed an honest question to myself: who was controlling our past and present during these eight decades, and who will control our future? I laughed at the stupidity of my question and rejoiced over Islamabad’s victory in foiling two long marches this month. Hafiz Naeem, the current Amir of Jamaat Islami, is no match for the late Amir of Jamaat, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, in agitational protests, politics of alliances, and the skill of rubbing shoulders with Afghanistan’s Mujahidin. Similarly, the young Chief Minister of KPK, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, could not match the political dexterity of his predecessor in reaching Islamabad. The nation was on tenterhooks to........

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