DefinePK

Abstract

This paper offers a postcolonial analysis of power and corruption in Muhammad Hanif’s A Case of Exploding Mangoes, a satirical novel that critically examines Pakistan’s military and political elite. Set during the final days of third martial law regime, the novel deconstructs the legacy of colonial power structures that continue to shape Pakistan’s state institutions, particularly the military, intelligence agencies, and bureaucracy. Drawing on postcolonial theory, especially the works of Frantz Fanon and Edward Said, this study explores how Hanif employs dark humor and irony to expose the absurdities and injustices of authoritarian rule. The novel’s portrayal of surveillance, paranoia, and ideological control reflects the deep entanglement of postcolonial identity with inherited colonial mechanisms of governance. Moreover, the marginalization of dissenting voices and the manipulation of religion for political gain are analyzed as key tools of systemic corruption. Through this lens, Hanif’s narrative emerges as a powerful critique of the postcolonial state's failure to liberate itself from the authoritarian and hierarchical legacies of empire, ultimately questioning the nature of power, justice, and resistance in modern-day Pakistan.
Key Words: Post colonialism, Power, Corruption, Military Dictatorship, Pakistani Literature, Colonial Legacy, State Surveillance, Political Critique, Identity, Authoritarianism.