The present drill, a bit of a farce
ONE keeps getting sermons from over-rated analysts about democracy being the best system of political governance in Pakistan.
But for all one knows through experience is that no system in vogue in a country will deliver without a proactive approach suited to the genius of the people you are dealing with and a clear goal of fulfilment as a nation.
Pakistani politics thus far, has been reactive; losing track of its moorings springing from the Islamic Faith it was supposed to follow.
It has capitulated to expediencies of the man-made systems in preference to what has been passed on divinely for their guidance; and therefore the dilemma which not only Pakistan but the entire Islamic world faces today.
Even though it should not be the objective of Islamic countries to discriminate among nations of the world over trade relations, but should it be forced upon them, they must realize their inherent strength and potential within the Islamic world alone to mutually absorb and sustain trading among themselves, of the various merchandize they produce.
Get Kashmiris and Palestinians their right to sovereignty with the over-all objective of global peace and co-existence, and you will discover the values inherent in mother earth.
Pakistan needs to take a fresh start by washing itself of colonial vestiges.Under the smokescreen of Parliamentary Democracy, which was supposed to be a Government of the people, by the people, for the people, Pakistani political leadership has reduced it to a self-serving system which could toy around with their followers at will; the colonial masters in bribing chosen individuals commanding local influence with lands and throwing up compliant leadership to serve them, and the resulting affluent minority monopolizing entrepreneurship and amassing wealth at the expense of the people.
And whereas feudalism was immediately abolished in India soon after departure of the British, the colonial legacy of slave mentality has continued in Pakistan and seeped into the individual citizen down the ladder who appears to have lost the will to fight for his rights and force the leadership to deliver; no wonder Pakistan has double digit inflation of nearly 13% when in neighouring countries including the war-torn Afghanistan, it borders around 5 to 6 %.
Had the Quaed-i-Azam lived on, he would have soon discovered that having inherited a swath of mostly ill-educated British-patronized feudal lords accustomed to rubber-stamping the will of the ruler, the British style of Parliamentary democracy was not suited to the genius of the Pakistani nation; more so now that Pakistan has experimented enough with the parliamentary form which despite a unanimously ironed out Constitution in 1973, has made sure it did not work by flouting its basic principles and reducing it to a piece of paper; disregarding rule of law and respect for institutions upon which the State was based.
Instead of blaming the khakis for illegitimate interventions and protracted rule, the political leadership needs to rewind to the start and look themselves in the mirror as to their own role and contribution to providing excuses for every such indulgence, besides wasting valuable State time and resources on trivialities.
Learning no lessons from the past even in the current scenario, they have invariably sought intervention by the judiciary for Rulings rather than settling Issues on the floor of the House and making practical suggestions.
They have been needlessly locking horns with the Establishment with ‘hands off’ mantra and yet wasted no opportunity on the quiet in seeking its blessings through intermediaries.
That most of the mainstream politicians have germinated in the same nurseries they admonish and run down, bespeaks of their mettle.
What greater example of complete apathy to national developmental goals does one need than this pointless musical chairs, in which the Opposition from day-one has been yelling foul against the Government accusing it of having been selected by the Establishment in a completely manipulated poll, and yet continued to sit in Parliament for almost 4 years enjoying all its perks and privileges, indulging in mud-slinging against each other instead of carrying out direly needed legislation to improve institutional performance, and irreparably damaging the democratic credentials of both Houses of Parliament; reducing it to a replica of sham democracy.
Had they been sure about the validity of their accusation, all they had to do was to refuse taking oath and force re-election.
Notwithstanding PTI Government’s dismal show on the ground and certification of performance of some of its Ministers by the Prime Minister, with barely a year left in its tenure which should have been over long ago, it looks like a bit of a farce for the Opposition which has often been discordant within its own ranks over sit-ins, long marches, public gatherings and resignations, to now huddle together for a no-confidence against the Prime Minister, for which they are having to publicly seek support of PML(Q); the principal coalition partners of the Government who have in a later meeting with the Premier reassured going the distance alongside him.
But even if the no-confidence motion succeeds bringing down the Government, it would consume another few months in forming a new Government and provide an excuse to the Treasury Benches, that had the Opposition made constructive contributions instead of creating undue hurdles, they would have performed better.
With the fast evolving global political situation in general and geo-politics in this region in particular assuming a pivotal role and causing realignments, Pakistan’s avowed enemy never reconciling to its creation and still breathing down its neck; already having dealt a lethal blow in causing Pakistan’s two wings to split, the Pakistani nation and its political leadership needs to shelve its mutual differences for the time being and put their heads together to thwart any and all future enemy designs.
You arrest, try and sentence a serving prime enemy Agent Kalbhoshan Yadev; masterminding killings and sabotage across the country and mainly in Karachi and Balochistan, and years later you are still performing diplomatic niceties instead of executing him.
You track down Indian submarines trying to enter Pakistan’s territorial waters four times and each time warn it off instead of letting it trespass and destroy it, just as you rightfully shot down its fighter jets violating your airspace.Unless you pay the enemy back instantly you would not teach it a telling lesson.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
