This Land of the Pure, 48-Hour Entertainment Special

A column by Zorain Nizamani sparked nationwide debate, triggering media panic and political spin, raising questions about Gen Z voices, narrative control, and the growing fragility of Pakistan’s mainstream discourse.

By Imran Malik – Editor-in-Chief MediaBites

For the last two days, Pakistan — both inside and outside the country — has been collectively occupied by a single piece of writing. Not an exposé. Not a leak. Not even a breaking story.

Just an article.

Yes, Zorain Nizamani’s now-famous piece, titled “It’s Over.” And judging by the reaction, it really was — for nerves, restraint, and professional composure.

One young writer typed a few paragraphs, and suddenly:

Senior anchors left their studios
Analysts forgot their scripts
And opinion merchants rushed into the arena like it was sudden-death overtime

Someone activated the “rent-a-reply” machine, others dusted off recycled analyses, and a few poured their emotional baggage straight onto Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The takeaway was obvious:
Conventional media didn’t respond — it panicked.

Ratings? Already struggling.
Confidence? On airplane mode.

Then came the plot twist.

Zorain had to clarify something painfully simple:

He is not affiliated with any political party.
His article carried no agenda, no hidden narrative, no political alignment.

In fact, he said the piece was written for fun — because sometimes, he argued, messages reach the masses more effectively when delivered with humour rather than hostility.

That clarification, however, did not stop certain political leaders and media personalities from attempting to tilt the article toward their own narratives — an effort Zorain openly did not endorse.

As if that wasn’t enough, some overenthusiastic supporters even produced an AI-generated version of the article, added a little twist of their own, and circulated it proudly. Zorain had to step in again — this time to explain that the robot was not part of his editorial team.

Then, in a move rarely seen in modern media drama, the parents appeared — calmly clarifying positions that didn’t really need clarification.

Because here’s the part many still don’t understand:

You cannot control Gen Z.
You cannot fence their thoughts.
You cannot force them to inherit your narratives.

They are free in ideas, opinions, and choices.
And they don’t need permission slips.

Of course, criticism followed. It always does.
But some of it felt less like intellectual disagreement and more like frustration that old narratives are no longer selling.

Now imagine, just imagine — if four or five voices like this made it to mainstream media.
What would happen to those prime-time figures whose presence weighs heavily than their relevance?

Perhaps that is the real discomfort.