'It is over': Pakistani op-ed on Gen Z discontent taken down, triggers backlash as screenshots circulate online

A censored op-ed by Zorain Nizamani criticizing Pakistan’s ruling establishment has sparked outrage and made him a Gen Z icon. The article highlights youth disillusionment, censorship backlash, and a growing generational divide as young people quietly exit the country.

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Pakistan may be witnessing the early signs of a generational rupture, not through street protests or slogans, but through ideas that refuse to be silenced. An op-ed written by a young Pakistani academic has unexpectedly become a flashpoint in this quiet rebellion, exposing the widening gap between the country’s ruling establishment and its Gen Z population.

The article, titled It Is Over, was authored by Zorain Nizamani, a Pakistani PhD student based in the United States and son of actors Fazila Qazi and Qaiser Khan Nizamani. It was published on January 1 by The Express Tribune, only to be taken down within hours. The removal, widely believed in Pakistan to have been ordered by the military establishment, triggered outrage and turned an obscure writer into a national Gen Z icon.

Screenshots of the op-ed circulated rapidly across social media, with journalists and citizens accusing the state of censorship. In a country notorious for silencing dissent, the attempt to erase the article had the opposite effect. Suppression only amplified its message.

What the op-ed argued

Without naming the government or the army, Nizamani delivered a blunt message to Pakistan’s ageing power structure. “For the older men and women in power, it’s over. The young generation isn’t buying any of what you’re trying to sell to them,” he wrote. He argued that state-driven patriotism campaigns had failed. “No matter how many talks and seminars you arrange in schools and colleges, trying to promote patriotism, it isn’t working.”

Nizamani linked patriotism not to slogans but to governance. “Patriotism comes naturally when there is equal opportunity, sound infrastructure, and efficient mechanisms in place,” he said.

The piece was a scathing indictment of Pakistan’s civil-military order, even without naming it. It reflected a country facing collapsing credibility, shrinking opportunity, and an economy that no longer offers hope to its youth. According to Dawn, Pakistan’s unemployed population rose by 31 percent in 2025 alone. Official data shows more than 5,000 doctors and 11,000 engineers left the country in the past two years, part of an accelerating talent exodus.

Gen Z, fear, and the quiet exit

Nizamani argued that Pakistan’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more politically aware than previous generations, even if they remain publicly silent. “Young minds, the Gen Z, the alphas, they know exactly what is happening, and despite your consistent efforts of trying to sell your views of patriotism to them, they are seeing right through it,” he wrote.

He added, “Despite your best efforts to keep the masses as illiterate as possible, you have failed. You have failed to tell people what to think; they are thinking for themselves. They might be a little too scared to speak their minds because they prefer breathing.”

Fear, he said, has not produced loyalty, only exit. “The younger lot has had enough, and because they have learned that they cannot challenge the powers, they’re leaving the country. They’d rather take a silent, quiet exit and not look back because their friends, who spoke up, were silenced.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶: The viral Pakistani PhD scholar from the University of Arkansas, also the son of a well known celebrity couple, has now joined X to explain his Express Tribune article.#zorainNizamani I #Pakistanpic.twitter.com/zLakseDlhG

— Dr Ahmad Rehan Khan (@AhmadRehanKhan) January 3, 2026

The article highlighted the everyday disconnect between rulers and the ruled. “The Gen Z wants faster internet, the ones in power want a stronger firewall. The Gen Z wants cheaper smartphones, the boomers want smartphones to be taxed. The Gen Z wants eased restrictions on freelancing, the boomers want to increase regulations on freelancing.”

Backlash to censorship

The takedown provoked sharp reactions across Pakistan’s political and media landscape. Lawyer Abdul Moiz Jafferi wrote, “This is such a great article. Written from the heart of every young person to every old man failing at their job in Pakistan.”

Activist Mehlaqa Samdani said, “He is right. It really is over for those who think they can continue to get away with these crude tactics.”

Former minister Moonis Elahi called it a “reality check for the generation shaping policy.” Even Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf amplified the article, stating, “Gen Z sees corruption, inequality, and hypocrisy clearly. Without justice, jobs, and dignity, propaganda fails.”

Clarifications and denials

Amid the storm, Nizamani clarified on LinkedIn that he had no political affiliation. “My article was based on my personal observations, my views and my take on things. I do not carry disdain against anyone; there is enough hatred in the world, truth is always controversial,” he wrote.

His mother, Fazila Qazi, said the piece was a general commentary on youth perceptions and not aimed at any specific institution.

Yet the damage was done. The state’s reflex to censor rather than engage has reinforced exactly what the article warned about. Pakistan’s Gen Z may not be marching in the streets, but it is disengaging, emigrating, and quietly withdrawing consent from a system it no longer believes in. In a country built on enforced narratives, that silent rejection may prove the most destabilising force of all.