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Old Saturday, April 25, 2009
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Default Democracy In Pakistan‏

DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
DEMOCRACY SINCE CREATION
CAUSES OF FAILURE OF DEMOCRACY
OVER DEVELOPED STATE STRUCTURE
EXECUTIVE ARROGANCE
STRONG BUREAUCRACY
FEUDALISTIC DISPENSION
INSTITUTIONAL POVERTY OF POLITICAL SYSTEM
LOW LEVEL OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS/ RULE OF LAW
NO ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS
INTERRUPTION IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS/ROLE OF ARMY/
ABSENCE OF MATURE LEADERSHIP

WEAK CIVIL SOCIETY
EXTREMISM
IMMEDIATE THREATS TO DEMOCRACY
COMPATIBILTIY OF DEMOCRATIC AND ISLAMIC POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY/ MEASURES FOR SURVIVAL OF DEMOCRACY
UNINTERRUPTED DEMOCRATIC PROCESS/ CURTAILED TOLE OF ARMY
ISLAMIZATION OF GOVT./ JUDICIAL REFORMIG
PROCESS OF EFFECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY
BREAKING TRENDS OF POWER ACCUMULATION
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
UPHOLDING AN INTACT CONSTITUTION
INCREASING POLITICAL AWARENESS
ROLE OF MDEIA
LIMITED INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE
CONCLUSION

"The essence of democracy is its assurance that every human being should so respect himself and should be so respected in his own personality that he should have opportunity equal to that of every other human being to show what he was meant to become." Anna Garlin Spencer

In Pakistan, the need for establishing a true democracy is as old as the country itself. Democracy is one of the most fabulous principles of the modern political system. It is the culmination of freedom and progress in advanced countries. In Pakistan, however, the already difficult situation has been aggravated by constant failures which never let democracy survive. The legacies of colonialism and autocratic mindset of the leadership erected invisible barriers for the democratic process. The positive change is still slow, but a bleak past or murky present in no way means a foredoomed future as well. However, colossal efforts at every level are required for democracy to take root and relieve us of our ever increasing catastrophes.

Looking over the political history of our country has never been a palatable chore. An apparent disharmony between democratic creed and autocratic reality is the net deduction but the flaw is more inherent. Pakistan even when created had a fair share of the feudal ruling class in the Muslim League who represented a culture of suppression and personal gains.

These landlords and feudal cum politicians hijacked the political system, which instead of becoming free and a true public representative became instead a system of the mighty and powerful. Also Pakistan did not have a formal constitution until 1956, and that also could not appease a large political section.

Moreover, the constant military takeovers first by General Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan , Zia-ul- haq and Gen Musharraf, never allowed the country to adopt any positive political principles. All the different constitutions could never completely satisfy the vast political divide, except for the 1973 constitution, which has been twisted by many amendments. The biggest mishap due to absence of democracy was the dismemberment of Pakistan.

Consequently, the list of gross failures kept mounting and even after realizing the underlying causes, they weren’t addressed. Of the major causes of failure of democracy in Pakistan, the substantial ones are related to those in authority i.e, the leadership, army and bureaucracy.

Firstly, the failure to sustain democracy is the over developed state structure. The monopolization and centralization of power, decision making structure, hegemonic ideals vis-à-vis civil society and also a need to control them terribly weakened the de facto government institutions and in turn the social and economic structure as well.

Secondly, a clash between main organs of government such as judiciary and executive lead never gave democracy a fair chance. Personalization of rule has been in vogue. This trend by the executive to influence all and sundry made Pakistan an international study case of a failing democratic state.

In addition to this the military rulers strengthened the bureaucracy for their own rule. Securing a permanent role in the establishment, the bureaucrats preferred to compromise with the feudal system as well. The circulation of power in a handful of families made the structure hollow.

Similarly, as cited earlier the authority at local level accumulated in the hands of feudal cum politicians who had the public vote bank with them. The military rulers were thought to curb them in the beginning but instead of nipping them in the bud they also compromised with them to prolong their rule. In such circumstances, even universal suffrage could not be effective and non-political powers began to play a greater role.

Likewise, the weak institution of political system, from the parliament- which became a proxy of dictators- to the regional political parties which had hereditary and non democratic leaders is another cause. These political representatives had no idea of political socialization and no organized quarters of leadership, who could establish a democratic culture.

Sadly, the political psyche of the people is also very negative due to low level of political awareness and socialization. And this trend allowed the hegemonic forces to keep media, educational institutions, peers and public forums from incorporating a political consciousness into the people. The masses were even not able to resist the Martial Laws, and the civil society always succumbed to the military rule.

Another important cause has always been the constitutional crisis and absence of rule of law apparatus. There has always been a great demand for incorporating Islamic principles in the constitution or implementing them (as implied by the ’73 const.) as Pakistan is an Islamic state. Also the several amendments in the constitution concentrated power in the President, which was against the democratic soul. There is still the need for intact constitution.

Furthermore, interruption in the democratic process has never allowed democracy to form a base. Even with its flaws, the elected government has a right to complete its tenure without any hurdles. With four military coups this has never been the case.

Consequently, such systems with autocratic or military rule produce their own set of leaders and politicians. Since Quaid’s demise, no true leader could rise and fill the void. Bhutto could have been one such leader, but unfortunately he also could not abstain from making fatal political compromises.

When the leadership of a country has all the power, which originally should have been with the institutions, the civil society is prone to become weak. The Pakistani society could not even properly voice their rights until recently, let alone struggling for democracy due to subjugation.

Last but not least, the current stream of extremism and terrorism has brought forth a new ideology. These extremist elements equally manipulate the government and the common people. Their own version of Islam has become a means of playing with the sentiments of the already deprived masses.

Hence, the bearers of this new ideology of governance consider democracy non Islamic and thus completely useless for an Islamic State. The prevailing conditions of the country and the demand for implementation of Sharia (their own version), is a testimony to this ideological belief. For these elements, the concept of democracy is western thus against Islam.

Moreover, this new ideological approach is also the most immediate threat to democracy in Pakistan today. In the war against terrorism, the realization of the fact that it is also a ‘ a ‘war of two ideologies’ but not necessarily a clash of civilizations is essential for preventing the country from another dead end.

Islam as we know is a complete code of life. But in the political sphere the decision for choosing the form of government has been left for the people, provided that the described requirements for vicegerency are met and the fact that sovereignty lies with Allah alone. As our constitution clearly states Pakistan as an Islamic Republic, there should be no misunderstanding about the governmental form.

Secondly, the Islamic government is never theocratic. It is formed from mutual consent and conducts most of its affairs by consensus and consultation. Prophet (S.A.W) consulted with his companions on important matters. An authentic example of this can be seen in the caliphate era. In his inaugural speech, Hazrat Abu Bakkar (R.A) said:"I am not best among you. I need your help and advice- to tell truth to a ruler is a faithful allegiance, to conceal it is treason- in my sight powerful and weak are alike and to both I wish to render justice."

The underlying issue is to fulfill the conditions of vicegerency and not how the government should be formed. The original concept of Islamic rule is closer to democracy. It is an anti-thesis of monarchial, theocratic, papal forms of govt. it also differs from the western secular democracy. However, what form this democracy can take depends on the prevailing situations.

Hence, in essence and soul democracy is not un-Islamic. There is compatibility between Islamic concept of government and democracy but it requires a well executed procedure of its incorporation in the constitution or making Pakistan a true Islamic democracy.

In all this hopelessness, there must be a desire for moving forward. The future of democracy may be doubtful but it not at an end yet. It requires efforts by all, the leadership, Army, judiciary, civil society and even to some extent the international powers.

The first essential step seems to stop interruption in the democratic process so that we may see more then promos. To judge something, it has to be allowed a chance to survive and act. The elected government must be allowed to complete its tenure in any case. The military has to play a positive role here and not interfere in the smooth democratic process.

Secondly, as mentioned before, a part of the population wants greater Islamic character in the Govt. and laws. If we analyze this demand, it will be apparent that the enforcement of Sharia is more related to law making. Therefore, what is immediately required is a change in the judicial setup, which has been unable to gain the trust of people until recently. Encouraging steps have already started in this case, but much more needs to be one.

Reforming the judiciary and incorporating the Islamic laws can also soothe the deprived and poor masses which have been manipulated by the extremists due to sheer negligence of the elected governments and ruling elite. This naturally causes bitterness for the present form of political setup.

Moving on, corruption and selfish attitudes is eating away the institutional structure of our country and such practices never allow democracy to flourish. There is also a need for mature political leadership, which can think above its own gains. All this can only emerge after the formulation and implementation of strict accountability.

Sadly, the same corrupted pool of thought keeps appearing with new faces and the deceived masses blindly follow them. This is due to absence of any kind of accountability. Political compromises enhance this trend. Such practices are against the moral, democratic as well as Islamic principles and should end immediately.
Next, the all powerful bureaucracy and feudal politicians should be stripped of their unwarranted authority. It has been a slow evil which has weakened the country like nothing else. They are elected for serving people not controlling them. The criteria of merit; the right of freedom and equal progress for common people has become a joke due to such an autocratic setup.

On the contrary, the weak public institutions can be made strong and productive if the power and authority seeps down. The example of many European countries is in front of us, where institutions are powerful and not the politicians. Democracy in actuality can only be achieved through such measures.

Our constitution has been a source of constant controversy. Be it realization of Islamic laws or the concentration of power in the head of the state, the constitution has served as a tool for legitimization of alien changes and policies. Keeping the constitution intact has been long overdue. No one in power should be allowed to change it for prolongation of rule or appeasing any particular section.

The people of Pakistan in general lack political psyche and consciousness. This is largely due to poor literacy and a never ending feudalistic rule over 60% of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the masses and make them aware of their political rights. This can begin with greater political socialization by political parties and media.

In a democratic state, media has rightly been called the fourth pillar of the state. It can play a most important role in present age for creating awareness. Our media has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. It however, needs to play a positive constructive role and not become another compromised institution as well.

Finally, the strategic position and now the war against terror calls forth unwanted attention from international community sometimes. In the past, the military rule has been covertly or openly supported by many countries to gain their own benefits in this region. The international powers must stop interfering in the democratic process and for that to happen, our own government, people and media needs to be equally strong.

In a nutshell, there is still a very long way to go to achieve true democracy. It will require sincerity of purpose and a dedicated effort, not corrupted ideals and narrow thinking. Today, more than ever, the survival of democracy in Pakistan seems difficult. However, with new political awareness, a responsible political leadership, army and media, the process can begin. The media and masses appear to be moving forward, the rest should do the same.

Democracy is not only a form of government it is a philosophy which encompasses all aspects of rights and freedom. If we are to survive as a nation, we must allow it to grow or it will be hard to escape another catastrophe either internal or external.
__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Last edited by Princess Royal; Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 12:14 AM.
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