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The state just like a desi mother daily beats up her kids and doesn’t even let them cry and beats them further if they scream over the unjust battering of the dear mother(land). The difference is a desi mother after getting calm, cossets her kids while the state doesn’t and keeps on imposing many embargoes on her kids.
The mother(land) presented a different picture of motherhood when she discriminated between her kids, exploiting the resources and income of some sons to feed others. No no not all others but her specific son who ensures her safety although the track record of that son is not up to the mark. Adorned in beautiful uniform, that son has plundered the many assets of his mother(land) but being the most doted son of the mother(land) he enjoys ultimate impunity for his actions.
Well, this is a story of a family of parallel worlds and not of much concern for us (although it is much more and most).
Democracy is a system of running the state through representatives chosen by the people of that state who can make decisions according to the sentiments of the people. The core aspects of democracy are :
1)Civil Participation
2)Equality
3)Political Tolerance
4)Accountability
5)Transparency
6)Periodic free and fair elections
8)Rule of law
A brief review of all these aspects in Pakistan will answer all the questions i.e. what is wrong with democracy? What is frustrating the people? And where is democracy js lacking?
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**1)Civil Participation: **
People (s)elect their representatives who go into parliament and stick with those who offer them much return on their election costs. So instead of conveying the sentiments and needs of people at higher forums, they are content with enjoying lavish lifestyles in the capital.
Local body government is considered to be an effective methodology of decentralizing powers and responsibilities. Despite large-scale civil participation in development work, the local bodies' elections have been withheld in many parts of countries for years.
2)Equlity:
Generally, it is considered that equality means everyone possesses equal rights and shares equal responsibility under the law. No one is superior above the law but recently in the Karsaz incident, the drugged girl got acquittal whose SUV(driven by her) hit a father and daughter causing them to die on the spot.
The people of a particular province are oppressed because they demand their rights which have been violated for many years.
A rich culprit receives more favors than a poor one. Those who siphoned off millions of rupees got relief with just a few legislative amendments. Few are dying due to starvation and someone has a budget of 1 lac rupees to feed his dog.
3)Political tolerance;
Even a kid in Pakistan is well aware that in Pakistan those in opposition will have to suffer victimisation. No matter in whose hands, reign is.
Political polarization is at its crescendo and the main credit for it goes to a superhero chancellor captain whose cult-like personality has produced many ill-minded people. He has a simple formula: Those against him are bad and disloyal to the country and those with him are the purest person.
Political deadlock persists even in the critical topics where a national consensus is inevitable and this results in no single policy on a particular issue.
4)Accountability:
Accountability is concerned mainly with politicians because the bureaucrats and other men in uniform can’t even think of corruption and plundering because they are very sincere to the nation and country so accountability of them is banned while politicians may also be set free of charges in the great interest of nation.
**5)Transparency: **
Opaqueness is the favorite word for the working officials of the country. From the clerical staff to the 21-grade officer, the majority indulged in illegal means for promotion, recruitment, and performance. A very good example of symbiosis is set between officials and mafias where each one protects the nefarious desires of the other.
**6)Periodic free and fair elections: **
Although the elections are periodic words like free and fair are new to me. People’s vote is hardly counted and valued here even after the political engineering and victimization unleashed against a particular party.e PPP(2013),2018(PMLN) and 2024(PTI). A top brass of men in uniform decides who will be (s)elected next time and who will be hindered without carrying people’s sentiments and turning out much.
**7)Rule of law:
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As a Pakistani, nothing looks more ridiculous than this set of words. Nothing will giggle more Pakistani as a joke than this word (now that laughter will be of sadness or anger, is another debate). A separate article can be written on this but concisely if you are wealthy, powerful, mafia, or man of seat then you will rule over the law because vis amendments you can extract many safe passages, you can buy and influence investigation officers or you can directly offer BABa Quid e azam which is in low demand these although because George Washington has devalued him recently, the credit of which also goes to ……..obviously on us.
Reviewing all the aspects of democracy in Pakistan must have elucidated to you it is never a democracy here but a fallacy. A fallacy to feed 22 families, men in uniform and men in upper and lower houses of parliament.
The problems in democracy can be found only after the implementation of democracy and up till now, we haven’t been able to implement democracy with all its aspects. From the start, a particular segment has never set stage for a true democracy because whenever it tried to invigorate itself, it was derailed. Our history has seen four dictators but there are many who formulated a pseudo version of democracy.
Conclusion:
The discussion will be long enough even though I will not be able to write and you read so let's try to find out how can we rectify this democracy which is still a fallacy.
• Feudalists and chieftains are the major obstacles to democracy. They demand an autocratic sort of government in which the powerful enjoys status above the law and all the restrictions and obligations are for flocks. So the feudal politics must be obliterated.
•Since 1947, civil bureaucracy and military establishment have been the main pillars of the government and both of them instead of serving the nation, started their colonial system. There is a dire need to constrain them to their roles only and they must be discouraged in every extraconstitutional role.
•Our constitution is very fragile. It is not to serve the nation but to let plundered pillage the resources of the country. The constitution must be strengthened by taking into consideration all the aspects.
•Pakistan and its democracy in it has lacked a visionary leader like Muhammad Ali Jinnah since 1947. Everyone claimed to be like him but no one could match his selflessness for his country. To remove flaws of democracy, a shrewd, sagacious, and far-sighted leader is required.
•Democracy can only be invigorated by decentralization of power and responsibilities. The more the civilians will participate, the more they will discard pff undemocratic powers from the system.
•Accountability and transparency are the beauty of democracy and without these two, the country becomes more vulnerable to nefarious evils like corruption, grafting, and usurpance.
•Pakistan is lacking in confining and highlighting the boundaries of state institutions. All the state institutions most notably judiciary, parliament, establishment, and bureaucracy must work within their boundaries and must not intercede in the affairs of others.
•Economic and Political stability are also important factors that can vulcanize democracy because this is how we can curb the external powers from imposing their decisions on us and prevent hindrances in our democratic process.
This is my post for #hl-exclusive and #hl-w130e2.