Published on, Aug. 19 -- August 19, 2025 7:00 AM

In On Populist Reason, Laclau defines populism as the performative act of constructing "the people" by articulating disparate demands into a common identity through discourse, symbols, and antagonism. This process occurs through the creation of chains of equivalence among diverse and heterogeneous demands, unified in opposition to an antagonistic "other," such as ruling elites or state institutions. The unifying force often relies on empty or floating signifiers including symbols or slogans like "justice," "freedom," or "change". These words lack fixed meaning but enable different groups to rally under a shared banner.

In Pakistan, the rise of populist rhetoric is (re)shaping public disco...