The haze on the road to democracy
Pakistan
The haze on the road to democracy
By Zartasha Virk
Democracy has never had the chance to move briskly on its own two feet in our country. Most of the time, it limped along with the help of crutches and often collapsed before completing a full five-year term. Sometimes elected leaders are ousted, termed as incapable. At other times, the entire system is brought down with the justification that it is “no longer acting in favour of the country”. When comparing our democratic traditions with those of our former neighbours, it’s a sad realisation that ours has been ailing for decades.
Whatever the political scenario has been since partition, there is no other solution than to adhere to democratic norms in a pure and solid way. The only cure is to strengthen it with core policies and principles that should not be challenged under any circumstance. One crucial step in this regard is educating the masses, both through formal education and by creating awareness on how to elect competent representatives. It is obvious that a country with majority population lagging far behind in literacy rates will surely lack the vision needed for selecting a competent leader.
It wouldn’t be justified to say that these are the worst of times. In the past, we have witnessed the country go through much worse political and economic upheavals, often stemming from the collapse of the democratic system. Nevertheless, in the present scenario, the direct involvement of the pillars of the state in the current political hegemony is more obvious. The military establishment, never so vulnerable before, is apparently trying to steer the country back to democratic governance. Meanwhile, the judiciary, under the current chief justice, holds open trials amidst criticism. Those who were once “beloved” are so hurt by every decision against them that they spare no effort in challenging the decision makers and the kingmakers. Thus, there is a mashup of interests which endangers the country’s stability.
Just a few days away from the elections, the situation is still laden with a lot of confusion. The haze engulfing the present political fiasco is thicker than the atmospheric one. Almost all the quarters raise the question, “Are there going to be elections?”. And the answer must be “Yes! There is no other way”. Already much postponed, the country can’t afford any further delay. To strengthen the economy, foreign relations and, above all, stability within the country, we need sound governance by the elected representatives who shall be held accountable for all their deeds. Certainly, this cannot be expected from an interim setup or, worse still, from a dictatorship or martial law.
A functional system in the country is impossible without a properly elected government. Any kind of delay in elections be it proposed by some political party or any other institute can never be in favor of state. Whether the system thrives swiftly, or builds up gradually, it must be democratic. History has shown that gigantic dictators, not just in our country but everywhere in the world, have always ended up as dwarfs. As the curtain of time unfolds, it is only the sunshine of democracy that helps in light and growth. Else is all darkness.
A functional system in the country is impossible without a properly elected government. Any kind of delay in elections, whether proposed by some political party or any other institute, can never be in favour of the state. Whether the system thrives swiftly or builds up gradually, it must be democratic. History has shown that gigantic dictators, not just in our country, but everywhere in the world, have always ended up as dwarfs. As the curtain of time unfolds, it is only the sunshine of democracy that fosters light and growth. Everything else is darkness.
