Deleted op-ed by Pakistani Gen Z scholar goes viral, ignites censorship debate

A deleted opinion article written by a young Pakistani scholar has gone viral across all social media platforms, triggering a huge debate on censorship and freedom of expression in Pakistan.

The article, titled 'It Is Over', was authored by Zorain Nizamani who a Pakistani PhD scholar in criminology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The article was published by The Express Tribune on January 1. The piece was taken down within hours of publication, a move which is widely believed to have followed pressure from Pakistan’s military establishment. No official explanation was issued by the newspaper.

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Screenshots of the op-ed were quickly circulated online, drawing strong reactions from politicians, activists and young readers. Many described the takedown as an example of state censorship and rallied around the author, who is the son of actors Fazila Qazi and Qaiser Khan Nizamani.

What the op-ed argued

In the article, Nizamani wrote that Pakistan’s ruling elite no longer commands the loyalty or trust of younger generations. He argued that repeated state-backed campaigns promoting patriotism through speeches, seminars and institutional messaging had failed to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

“For the older men and women in power, it’s over,” he wrote, adding that patriotism could not be enforced through slogans or lectures. According to the piece, national attachment grows only when citizens experience equal opportunity, reliable public services and protection of rights.

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Without directly naming the army, Nizamani suggested that the access to the internet and education had weakened traditional methods that are used to shape public opinion. He wrote that young Pakistanis were increasingly choosing to leave the country rather than confront entrenched power structures, citing fear and the silencing of dissent as key reasons.

Political and civil society reaction

The article’s removal has drawn a sharp criticism from several quarters. The Canadian chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former prime minister Imran Khan, said the takedown reinforced the argument made in the piece. In a post on X, the party said that “forced patriotism no longer works” and that young people were “seeing corruption and inequality clearly.”

Activist Mehlaqa Samdani described the removal as “exactly the kind of censorship the article warned about,” while lawyer Abdul Moiz Jafferi called it a reflection of how young Pakistanis feel about governance and accountability.

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No official response

Neither The Express Tribune nor the Pakistan’s military establishment has issued a public statement on the removal of the article. Nizamani has also not commented publicly beyond the original piece.

The episode has added to ongoing concerns over press freedom and dissent in Pakistan, particularly at a time when youth migration and political disengagement remain pressing issues.