ISLAMABAD: Street performers first appeared along Islamabad’s busy intersections a few years ago. Covered from head to toe in eye-catching gold paint, they stood perfectly still, leaning on shimmering canes and topped with top hats. Probably somewhere else mime A person trying to make a few bucks on the street may go unnoticed.But this Pakistan, things are often not as simple as they seem under security conditions. As the number of golden performers increased, so did the intrigue around them. Are they informants for the country’s intelligence services? Are they monitoring powerful politicians?Maybe he’s a spy C.I.A.?
Today, Islamabad’s ‘Golden Man’ has been added to its ranks. conspiracy theory Every day they sprout up in the streets, are knocked down, and are revived. Security agency involvement is ubiquitous in Pakistan, where conspiracy theories have been mainstreamed for decades. Suspicion has become so pervasive that wild stories take root after nearly every news event. When devastating floods occurred in 2010, people claimed they were caused by his CIA weather control technology. Media commentators claimed that a US “think tank” was behind the attempted car bombing by a Pakistani-American in Times Square that year. osama bin laden He was actually Jewish.
In such a situation, anyone, even a street performer, could be seen as a potential tool of the state. Surveillance has been part of everyday life for most of Pakistan’s 76-year history. However, in recent years there has been an explosion of dissatisfaction with the military’s role in politics. Ali Abbas, 25, from Islamabad, said: “The political atmosphere is so polarized that we become increasingly suspicious of whether we are being watched and who is listening.” “It has become,” he said.
On the other side of the city, Mustaq Ahmed, 53, was standing in the median of a busy intersection. His jacket, pants, cane, and top hat were all spray-painted gold. His face and hands were caked in golden makeup. Ahmed used to sell umbrellas, but he became a “Golden Thakur” three years ago after hearing another golden man say he was making 8,000 Pakrupees (or nearly $30) a day. Ta. That was more than five times the amount that Ahmed took home. That cash has dwindled recently as Golden Man’s novelty has worn off, he said. When asked if he ever supplemented his income with a small side job in the intelligence community, he quickly answered, “No, no, no.” Is it possible that other golden men were making a few more bucks that way? “Maybe,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s Pakistan.”
Today, Islamabad’s ‘Golden Man’ has been added to its ranks. conspiracy theory Every day they sprout up in the streets, are knocked down, and are revived. Security agency involvement is ubiquitous in Pakistan, where conspiracy theories have been mainstreamed for decades. Suspicion has become so pervasive that wild stories take root after nearly every news event. When devastating floods occurred in 2010, people claimed they were caused by his CIA weather control technology. Media commentators claimed that a US “think tank” was behind the attempted car bombing by a Pakistani-American in Times Square that year. osama bin laden He was actually Jewish.
In such a situation, anyone, even a street performer, could be seen as a potential tool of the state. Surveillance has been part of everyday life for most of Pakistan’s 76-year history. However, in recent years there has been an explosion of dissatisfaction with the military’s role in politics. Ali Abbas, 25, from Islamabad, said: “The political atmosphere is so polarized that we become increasingly suspicious of whether we are being watched and who is listening.” “It has become,” he said.
On the other side of the city, Mustaq Ahmed, 53, was standing in the median of a busy intersection. His jacket, pants, cane, and top hat were all spray-painted gold. His face and hands were caked in golden makeup. Ahmed used to sell umbrellas, but he became a “Golden Thakur” three years ago after hearing another golden man say he was making 8,000 Pakrupees (or nearly $30) a day. Ta. That was more than five times the amount that Ahmed took home. That cash has dwindled recently as Golden Man’s novelty has worn off, he said. When asked if he ever supplemented his income with a small side job in the intelligence community, he quickly answered, “No, no, no.” Is it possible that other golden men were making a few more bucks that way? “Maybe,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s Pakistan.”
