Imagine an abandoned library, where old books lie scattered — worm-eaten, covered in dust. Their yellowed pages whisper tales of time’s cruelty. And then there is a pen — suspended in midair, held by no hand, drifting aimlessly in its hunger for unchecked power. From this pen, a document is written: Project 2025.

This is no ordinary plan. It is a vision — no, calling it a vision would be an injustice. It holds no promise, no hope. It carries the shadow of fear, the scent of terror. In the name of making America the greatest power on Earth, this project is forging chains meant to strangle the free breath of the world.

The story takes a turn. The pen, once adrift, finds its way into the hands of President Donald Trump. A single stroke, and this project, crafted from the minds of conservatives, is set into motion. The stated goal? "Restoring America's greatness". But what does this restoration truly mean? Building economic walls against China, fanning the flames of hatred against immigrants, discarding global agreements like yesterday’s news, or crushing every voice that dares to rise for the oppressed in Palestine? These are just different scenes of the same film. And the director? Project 2025.

Trump claims this is the path to making America great again. But at what cost? Does greatness come at the expense of 2.1 million government employees losing their jobs? Will a clerk, who has dedicated 20 years to a government office, be cast aside simply because he does not align with a political agenda? Is this the true face of “restoration”? This is not just a policy shift — it is a detonation, a bomb set to shake the very foundations of American bureaucracy.

And this is only the beginning. The real picture is yet to unfold. Plans are in motion to dismantle the Department of Education and to slam the doors on healthcare. Could anyone have imagined that in a country claiming to be the champion of progress and human rights, a mother would be forced to wander from hospital to hospital with her dying son, only to find that the doors she once relied on have been shut in her face by Project 2025? The child, looking at his mother with fading eyes, will muster a weak smile and ask, “Mama... am I going to die?” There will be no answer — except the silent, cruel grin of Project 2025.

This plan is not just about the economy or employment. It is laying the foundation for an entire social transformation. Women’s rights are under siege. Abortion rights are being revoked. Gender identity is under attack. The doors of American courts are being prepared to shut on women.

Pakistan’s tragedy is that we have never tried to stand on our own feet. We sway one way, then the other. We have always sought refuge in the shadows of others. And when those shadows disappear, we are left staring at our own weakness. We have never built our own camp — only stood beneath someone else’s

Picture a terrified girl in the streets of Texas — abused, violated — now standing between life and death, searching for safety. But new policies have pulled the ground from beneath her feet. This is the new face of "humane America" — carved by Project 2025. But is this only America’s problem? No. The ripples of this plan are spreading across the world. Will Pakistan be caught in its tide too?

This is not a choice. It is an ultimatum. And Pakistan’s tragedy is that we have never tried to stand on our own feet. We sway one way, then the other. We have always sought refuge in the shadows of others. And when those shadows disappear, we are left staring at our own weakness. We have never built our own camp — only stood beneath someone else’s. And now, as those shelters fade, we find ourselves exposed under the scorching sun.

What is the truth behind Project 2025? Is it a new face of dictatorship? Is America’s democracy on the verge of collapse? Even if not, experts say, "This project is the first step to making Trump a dictator."

It is obvious that when the media is silenced, when the courts are forced to kneel, and when the public is dragged into a darkness of fear, what follows is what once happened in Hitler’s Germany. Hitler buried democracy in the name of economic revival. Trump’s slogan sounds eerily similar.

So, is history about to repeat itself, this time in America? But don’t let it scare you, because in every darkness, there is always a flicker of light. On the streets of New York, students stand with banners in hand, inscribed with a slogan, “Stop Project 2025!” In Texas, nurses are knocking on the doors of the courts.

In a Pakistani field, a farmer gripping his sickle speaks a simple truth, “We will not be slaves. We will not belong to any camp.”

These are small voices. But remember, when drops come together, they form rivers, and when rivers become storms, thrones tremble and crowns fall.

The question is not whether Project 2025 will succeed or fail. The question is, “Where do we stand? Will we be silent spectators or become part of the wall that stands against oppression? History bears witness to the fact that every tyrant falls. And those who sing the praises of dictators? They, too, are buried by time.

Project 2025 is a dream — an unfinished dream. But the awakened eyes of humanity will never let it become a nightmare. Because real power has never belonged to projects or gun-wielding enforcers. It has always belonged to the people. (Originally written in Urdu)

The author is a journalist. He can be reached at mbaig22@yahoo.com