THE dismissal of highly deplorable election meddling allegations shows Pakistan’s military is protecting democracy and its guardrails from dictatorship. The law will take its course on May 9 episode. The split mandate is a cherry on the cake of parliamentary democracy, letting all parties serve their voters and fight populism. With democratic transition of power in the centre and provinces, it is show-time for governments to serve democracy. The state and its democratic institutions will continue to play their constitutional role for the people of Pakistan.
To preserve democracy from wannabe dictators, Pakistan’s 2024 general election is a dream for the democratic world fighting the rise of populism in the Ultimate Election Year. The return of Trump on the ballot is a step towards dictatorship after overturning of Colorado SC judgment despite the violation of oath in the Jan 6 insurrection. America’s democracy is facing dictatorship if Trump’s immunity demands are upheld for his actions in office, including shooting of his political opponents and using the military to take control.
The balance of power is the difference between democracy and dictatorship. America is fighting its battle to save democracy. The UK is looking to strengthen its democracy with the help of the military after Boris Johnson suspended parliament, which UK’s SC ruled as unlawful. As Labour’s shadow Defence Secretary, John Healey, MP, has proposed a four-year term for military leadership for democratic stability. He said that like political leadership, they should also complete a democratic term (The pre-war world, Political Hub, 1 March 2024, Sky News).
In a speech earlier this month, UK Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, said that we are now in a pre-war world. Healey said that I use that as my starting point to argue we need a much stronger centre for defence, capable of making the changes to deal with the hollowed-out state of our forces. He said our politicians do not want to talk about things. Keeping in view the international role of our armed forces, Pakistan needs to look at the proposals for modernization of the military of advanced western democracies for strengthening democracy of Pakistan with democratic checks and balances.
Like Pakistan, America is witnessing ‘out of box’ populist sleaze against the military. By targeting top US military leadership, Trump is winning his legal cases. It is undermining the country’s legal system, one country one law, and merit-based democracy. In a gamble, a Republican Senator blocked more than 400 top military promotions to try to bring change in Pentagon policy (Why a single senator is blocking US military promotions… 15 July 2023. AP, Tommy Tuberville ends blockade… 5 Dec 2023, the Guardian).
Similarly, Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term. Advisers have also discussed deploying the military to quell potential unrest on Inauguration Day. Critics have called the ideas under consideration dangerous and unconstitutional (5 Nov 2023, the Washington Post). Republicans want to bring cronies at levers of power in government for indefinite stay in power (The Brash Group of Young Conservatives Getting Ready for the Next Trump Administration 3 Nov 2023, Politico).
The developments in America and the UK show the importance of protecting democracy in Pakistan. Similarly, in an ISPR press release, it is also said that democratic consolidation is the best way forward for Pakistan. The military is spot on in pledging to continue providing full support to the government in combating security threats and uplifting the socioeconomic growth in the country including wholehearted assistance in curbing all illegal activities including “smuggling, hoarding, electricity theft, implementation of One Document Regime and respectable & safe repatriation of all illegal foreigners”.
As the third tier of government, local governments are the next guardrail of democracy. It will help fight populism, devolve power at the grassroots, and stop mega-corruption. There should be free and fair elections. For democratic checks and balances, bureaucracy should be free from political control. Police should return under DC. Dictatorship consolidates power whereas democracy devolves power. PTI government dissolved Punjab local government with 58,000 LB representatives.
Bureaucracy serves as a cornerstone of democracy, yet it faces mounting challenges in Pakistan, mirroring similar struggles in the UK and US. Former UK PM Liz Truss’s attribution of economic setbacks to her ‘Small state formula’ highlights the complexities. Government interference undermines checks and balances, exacerbating issues such as corruption and public service failures. Calls for an overhaul of ministerial codes and greater autonomy for bureaucrats underscore the need for robust democratic mechanisms. In Pakistan, as in advanced Western democracies, an independent bureaucracy is essential for combating corruption, enhancing public services, and safeguarding against authoritarian tendencies. The military’s role in protecting democracy’s foundations against encroaching dictatorship remains pivotal amidst global democratic challenges.
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
