Why does a media tycoon, his empire under criticism for playing second fiddle to a political stunt generated by the sitting government, need a tweet from the US Consulate in Karachi to prove his innocence?

This, while the newspaper correspondent, accused of slandering the army at the behest of a mysterious “strategic media cell”, has almost been exonerated by a toothless joint investigation team? Is it a solitary incident, or does it have to do something with a deeper malady inflicting the “Islamic Republic”? These are the questions which keep agitating the people of Pakistan, not privy to the palace intrigues and perpetual struggle for power, that goes on in the corridors of power.

Consider this: While he is embroiled in a fierce struggle to defend himself and his family against corruption charges, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted an invitation of the Saudi King, ostensibly, to attend the so-called US-Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh. Reportedly, US President Donald Trump will also join the meeting in his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia. According to the general perception, NS had got himself invited to Saudi Arabia to show the army, one of the centers of gravity, that he enjoys the support of POTUS, and, of course, that of the keeper of the two holiest shrines of Islam.

Why do Pakistan’s Glitterati – the politicians, praetorians, business tycoons, and media movers and shakers – feel unsafe and uncomfortable unless they are endorsed by a foreign power?

It has a lot to do with the nation’s psyche that has been fine tuned to the present state over a period of almost seven decades. And it has something to do with the concept of borrowed power.

Borrowed Power can be explained within the context and broad concept of power. If we define power as the ability to influence the behavior of others in accordance with one’s own end, we come across two types of people – strong and weak. And these two attributes do not, necessarily, appear in the form of physical strength, wealth, and clout. Strength and weakness sit in a person’s mind. A person may be poor or physically weak, but possess the mental robustness and self-confidence to take on a physically powerful and rich person. The opposite is also true.

The borrowed power will come from a third person or country, if they are willing to lend it to the weaker person. This implies that the power lender also needs to trade off his power with the weaker person/country to achieve his, or his country’s objectives. Borrowed Power will be available to the borrowing person/country, partly in tangible form and partly as an underwriting by the lender. However, there is a limit to the effectiveness of the borrowed power.

Manipulation of borrowed power by a weak person, for the resolution of his dispute(s) with his hostile environment, can be likened to the “gravity assist maneuvers” which, in orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, is the use of relative movement and gravity of a planet, or any other heavenly object, to accelerate a spacecraft for saving propellant, time, and expense.

This article has been excerpted from the book “Borrowed Power”, authored by Lt. Col. Saleem Akhtar Malik (Retired).