Daily Times

The results of the May 2013 elections were widely celebrated for being the first ever democratic transition of power rather than the clean sweep of a particular political party that currently holds the biggest public office. It was believed we were finally on the journey towards mature politics and strengthened democracy was to commence. However, observing the current scenario where a mere 14 months of an elected government have brought some political forces onto the streets, should the validity and potency of democracy be questioned?

For the ongoing political tension that has put a question mark on the very future of democracy, responsibility lies on the two most apparent characters of today’s drama: Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan. It is quite strange that, despite the shift of power, Dr Qadri clings to the same complaints he had against the PPP that were addressed by the then government even though he was satisfied after Islamabad’s long march declaration was signed. The same Dr Qadri is again in action giving his infamous ultimatums to another elected government. Despite having wished to bring reforms to the whole system, Qadri avoided contesting elections, preferring to stay in some luxurious villa in Canada (nationality of which he possesses) while revolutionising the country he rarely visits. Does this revolutionary own any right to object to a system he refused to be a part of by keeping himself thousands of miles away during its constitutional transformation on May 11? Moreover, if the corrupt system dug such a big hole in his heart, what made him take a whole year to realise the need to jump into the political realm and hold the common people hostage with the help of a few hundred brainwashed workers?

Dr Qadri needs to understand that Pakistan is not merely a handful of his mureeds (devotees) sitting in the Minhajul Quran offices of Model Town, Lahore, and some other cities of Punjab but that the people of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also come within its territory. Even to bring about a revolution, a few towns in Punjab have been the focus of Dr Qadri. Ignoring the opinion of other units of the federation has already resulted in Pakistan’s split in 1971. Learning nothing from the past, the non-democratic mindset continues to prevail. Without the consent of small provinces, the revolutionary doctor’s desire to impose his agendas on the common people will bring no revolution but will further break this country into pieces.

Balochistan is the foremost example, a victim of the political leadership’s negligence and cowardice. On the one hand, international forces have kept their eyes on it and, on the other, its people’s prolonged sense of deprivation has not been eliminated yet and neither has the process of throwing mutilated bodies of young Baloch ceased. Meanwhile, considering Sindh to be in a normal position would be a big political blunder. Qadri’s demand for making new provinces is what hurts people the most. Sindh’s residents cannot even tolerate listening to any discussion on this sensitive issue and Qadri’s division formula can never be acceptable. Hence, for Sindh, the outcome of accepting Qadri’s demands can be foreseen.

In this predicament, Imran Khan’s stance does not seem to be any different from Dr Qadri’s. His party’s policy regarding the sensitive issues of small provinces is ambiguous. Little does he know that if anything happens without the consensus obtained by small provinces it would be the federation that will be damaged. Like Sindh, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa oppose the construction of Kalabagh Dam. Several times in Punjab, Imran Khan has spoken in favour of Kalabagh Dam. Can he dare advocate this project on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s soil? Is it not hypocrisy to not mention the dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but in Punjab? This hypocrisy can only divide the nation. More appalling is the fact that his long march over rigging in the elections indicates derailment of democracy, the same elections that recently brought his party into parliament. Rigging was highlighted by other parties as well. It is important to mention that the PPP also had reservations on the results of the elections of 2013 but, playing its due democratic role, it accepted the results in the interest of democracy and political stability. The PPP also supports Imran Khan’s stance over rigging but not at the cost of democracy for it has sacrificed the most for democracy’s survival.

On a mode of self-destruction, the role of the ruling party is also not appreciable. Committing suicide itself, the PML-N government’s non-pragmatic handling of events has made a crisis out of nothing. The list of blunders committed by the PML-N is long. First is the use of force against Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers that killed 14 of their devotees in Model Town, Lahore, and then restraining PAT from lodging a first information report (FIR) against those government officials responsible. Second is the reluctance to show political maturity to counter Imran Khan and evoking of Article 245 along with putting blockades on the roads towards Islamabad. Moreover, the PML-N’s willingness to use force against the marchers further deteriorated the situation. The unrelenting attitude of government representatives towards other party leaders who have backed the government for the cause of democracy has also spared no effort to add fuel to the fire. During the last democratic tenure, the PPP government survived all kinds of sit-ins, rallies and long marches; its crisis management has set a benchmark for upcoming governments. From the current situation, which is no less than a calamity, the PPP outshines all other parties.

In accordance with the constitution as well as democratic norms, the PPP disregarded any previous conflicts and conspiracies hatched by the PML-N to dismiss an elected prime minister and thicken the plot against President Zardari through the Swiss cases, Memogate and several other issues. Two of the PPP’s prime ministers were dragged to court while the president had a petition filed against him on behalf of Nawaz Sharif for regular hearings of the Memogate case in the Supreme Court (SC).

On the contrary, Asif Ali Zardari’s role, despite heading the largest opposition party, has not been less than that of a saviour. Upholding the Charter of Democracy, he has stood by his slain leader and what she gave up her life for: democracy. When Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto returned in 2007 to contest the elections, she was aware of the expected pre- and post-election rigging but had she boycotted the elections, democracy would not have been restored. Nawaz Sharif boycotted the elections then and Mohtarma asked him to run. After her assassination, it was again a PPP leader, Asif Ali Zardari, convincing him to withdraw his decision of boycotting the 2008 polls in order to oust a dictator through democratic means. The PPP has its history of siding with democracy against the worst dictatorships and their beneficiaries. At such a critical juncture when a few thousand have captured the capital to achieve their unjust demands, Zardari has stood beside Nawaz Sharif who occasionally plotted nests of intrigue during the PPP regime. Despite Nawaz Sharif having said that “Pakistan and Zardari could not co-exist”, he turned to the same Zardari for rescue. Zardari did not disappoint but rather guided him with political acumen.

It is very important for political parties to reassert their commitment to democracy during the current mess and the PPP, with its unmitigated loyalty towards democracy, has emerged as the strongest to defend the state and constitution. Political maturity among many segments of the PPP survives and throws its weight behind the elected government. The morale of the defensive government recovered after it called on the joint sessions of parliament on the advice of the PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan and Khursheed Shah, and the house echoed with PPP leaders chanting slogans for democracy. In this scenario, imagine if the PPP had also demanded the government’s resignation; what would the situation have been? Apparently, in every decade, it takes one PPP member to save and run democracy.

In Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s words, “Overcome the hate before it devours us all.”

The writer is a member of PPP Media Cell Sindh. She tweets at @MaleehaManzoor and can be reached at maleehamanzoor9@gmail.com