‘It Is Over’: Why this censored op-ed by a PhD scholar struck a nerve in Pakistan

Nizamani is pursuing his PhD in Criminology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

• Censored Zorain Nizamani op-ed ignites debate on forced patriotism in Pakistan
• Gen Z challenges state patriotism, citing censorship and lack of rights.
• Activists, politicians, and human rights groups criticize article's removal.

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Pakistan may be witnessing a quiet but consequential generational shift, not through street protests or violence, but through ideas that refuse to be silenced.

The flashpoint of this moment came from an opinion article titled ‘It Is Over’ by Zorain Nizamani, a young Pakistani academic, which was published by The Express Tribune on January 1 and taken down within hours. The removal, widely believed to have happened under pressure from Pakistan’s military establishment, triggered widespread outrage online, according to an NDTV report.

The takedown catapulted Nizamani into the national spotlight, with many Pakistanis hailing him as a symbol of a new generation unwilling to accept top-down narratives. Screenshots of the article quickly went viral on social media, as users accused the state of censorship and suppression of dissent.

‘Forced patriotism no longer works’

Nizamani, a Pakistani PhD student in criminology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, argued in the op-ed that Pakistan’s younger generations are no longer receptive to lectures on patriotism delivered by the country’s ruling elite. He contended that repeated seminars, speeches and state-driven campaigns have failed to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

“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. No matter how many talks and seminars you arrange in schools and colleges, trying to promote patriotism, it isn’t working,” he wrote.

Without explicitly naming the army, Nizamani stressed that patriotism cannot be manufactured through slogans or speeches. Instead, he argued, it develops naturally when citizens are provided with equal opportunities, functioning institutions and guaranteed rights.

“Patriotism comes naturally when there is equal opportunity, sound infrastructure and efficient mechanisms in place. When you provide your people with basic necessities and ensure people get their rights, you won’t have to go to schools and colleges to tell students that they are supposed to love their country; they already will nonetheless,” he said.

Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the internet effect

The article places strong emphasis on the political awareness of younger Pakistanis, suggesting that access to the internet and information has fundamentally weakened traditional methods of controlling public opinion.

“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,” Nizamani wrote, adding that fear, rather than apathy, often keeps young people silent.

‘A silent exit, not a rebellion’

He further argued that many young Pakistanis, unable to challenge entrenched power structures, are choosing to leave the country instead. “They’d rather take a silent, quiet exit and not look back because their friends, who spoke up, were silenced,” he wrote.

Political and civil society backlash

The article’s removal drew sharp reactions from across Pakistan’s political and civil society spectrum. The Canadian wing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said the takedown only reinforced the article’s message.

“Zorain Nizamani’s article ‘It Is Over’ being removed only confirms its truth. University talks and forced patriotism no longer work. Gen Z sees corruption, inequality, and hypocrisy clearly,” the party said in a post on X.

Pakistani activist Mehlaqa Samdani also criticised the move, writing, “Not surprisingly, this article is no longer accessible through the Express Tribune’s digital edition, exactly the kind of censorship Zorain talks about.”

Please read this brilliant article by Zorain Nizamani, a PhD student at the University of Arkansas, in which he bluntly tells Pakistan’s ruling elite that Gen Z is no longer falling for their attempts to manipulate and control narratives. Not surprisingly, this article is no… pic.twitter.com/EV7nFWeQyt

— Mehlaqa Samdani (@MehlaqaCAPJ) January 1, 2026

Lawyer Abdul Moiz Jafferi described the piece as “written from the heart of every young person to every old man failing at their job in Pakistan,” while former minister Moonis Elahi called it a “reality check for the generation shaping policy.”

Pakistan’s Human Rights Council condemned the article’s removal, calling it a violation of constitutional rights and journalistic freedom.

“The removal of Zoreen Nizami’s column from Express Tribune is a lamentable example of the increasing curbs on freedom of expression in Pakistan,” the council said, according to NDTV.