by Irshad Ahmad Mughal
“Recent drone strikes deep inside Russian territory—destroying fighter jets—forced me to contemplate Earth’s future, especially after the latest India-Pakistan war crises. The Middle East is already engulfed in flames, with Israel relentlessly erasing Palestinian lives despite global outcry. Europe teeters on the brink due to the Ukraine-Russia war, and as more nations join this inferno, World War III looms. Billions would then face annihilation, potentially fulfilling prophecies of humanity’s end foretold in religious scriptures.
Yet this isn’t the ‘end of time’—time is abstract, without beginning or end; it’s merely a human construct. What we face is the end of Earth itself.
After observing today’s powerful leaders, one truth is clear: none prioritize humanity’s survival. Instead, they obsessively stockpile drones, hypersonic jets, missiles, and other killing machines. On one hand, they engineer weapons to exterminate people; on the other, they weaponize algorithms to suppress dissent and erase collective consciousness. Humanity is now shackled—tracked through data, movement, and even thought.
The critical question is: How can independent thinking survive when every keystroke is monitored, and drones are dispatched to eliminate ‘targets’? Frankly, humanity hangs by a thread. The Matrix foresaw this dystopia—an era of total enslavement, not just physical but psychological. Past slaves wore physical chains but retained free minds; we face bondage of both body and consciousness. We’ll be scrutinized, manipulated, and controlled in every dimension.
This is the rise of a globalized, docile slave class—cultivated through social engineering, algorithmic censorship, and a deluge of misinformation. A world where freedom is extinct, and humanity’s flame flickers toward extinction.”
A new arms race has already begun, using various types of drones—such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) drones, attack drones, and kamikaze drones—to inflict damage on the enemy. Since these drones operate without human pilots, there is no risk of human loss during attacks. They are also said to be highly precise and calculated when striking their targets. Their role has evolved from entertainment to high-risk military operations.
Recently, Ukraine launched a “large-scale” drone attack against Russian military bombers in Siberia, striking more than 40 warplanes thousands of miles from its own territory. According to a security official, the drones were smuggled near the airfields, hidden in the roofs of wooden sheds. This incident has reignited a new race in drone technology, and soon, we may see drones disguised as various types of birds—scouting, killing, and photographing targets.
This emerging world of drones will be perilous without adherence to basic human values. The wealthy will likely dominate this technology, controlling more drones and further oppressing the poor. Human freedom of choice and mobility will be at risk. Already, we are monitored everywhere—on roads and streets—but surveillance will only intensify. A new form of suppression will emerge, where people become easy targets based on their views, as drones will have the ability to identify and eliminate them. Imagine a small bird-shaped drone perched on your corridor, silently waiting to strike.
We have driven countless species to extinction due to our greed, and now we are putting our own survival at risk. Our increasing reliance on technology to “teach lessons” to our enemies is endangering all life. We have already begun erasing divine wisdom—principles like “Do not kill your brother or fellow humans”—and removed God from the moral fabric of society.
Without a higher moral authority, Earth is now controlled by the most powerful and greedy individuals, armed with enough drones and weapons to devastate humanity and the planet itself. Our basic understanding is insufficient to grasp the scale of our impending annihilation.
Take a moment to sit and reflect: What would happen if all nations turned their weapons against each other? It would take mere hours for our collective suicide. The accelerating conflicts around us are pushing us toward this inevitable end—where every path leads to destruction.
Social media is a cacophony of noise. Amid the shouts of sensationalist anchors, the schemes of power-hungry leaders, and the relentless buzzing of drones and missiles, no sensible voice can be heard. The world has descended into madness and frenzy, especially since the Trump era…”
As a humanist, I am deeply troubled by the question of who will control these drones. If rulers or wealthy corporations command them, the oppressed—who cannot afford such technology—will face even greater destruction. War will become like a video game, where life and death are decided remotely. Sadly, this dystopian reality is no longer fiction; we are already witnessing it unfold in real life.
About the Author:
Irshad Ahmad Mughal
Chairman, Iraj Education & Development Foundation
82B, New Chaburji Park, Lahore.
