Daily Times

We all know the word ‘democracy’ but let me define its actual meaning before opening my critical analysis. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, democracy is defined as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” Recently, the PTI rally in Islamabad and countrywide demonstrations by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek against alleged rigging in the May 11, 2013 polls have once again brought the last general elections into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. As we all know, the recent general elections were contested on slogans of corruption, governance, economy, ownership of the war on terror, energy crisis and change (naya Pakistan).

According to cricketer-turned-politician Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, he accepted the results, not the election fraud, for the sake of democracy and would continue his protest against the government for hindering the verification of thumbprints in only four constituencies to ascertain what really happened in the elections. Addressing a massive gathering in Islamabad, Imran Khan said that the entire nation had lost trust in the present Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) because of preplanned rigging in the polls and demanded its reconstitution as part of the charter of demands.

I want to quote and remind the readers that Imran Khan was once in favour of the Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, as he called him a true man. However, when Ebrahim could not deliver to Imran’s great expectations, he was charged with these lame allegations. Secondly, we must see the blunders the PTI committed: it promised the people it would eradicate corruption and load shedding, make the judiciary strong and would not ask the world’s financial institutions for loans. However, we are all aware that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government took massive donations and funds from the US to improve the education system. The PTI proved itself to be an opportunist party by joining hands with the Jamaat-e-Islami with whom they were at daggers drawn before and after the elections.

On the other hand, through a video link from Canada, Dr Tahirul Qadri addressed processions in 60 cities of the country. He said that there is no parliament and denied the presence of democracy, constituted of good governance and purity — both these ingredients are extinct in Pakistan, as the country is being ruled by particular families while poor people in the country are deprived of even basic necessities.

My suggestion to Tahirul Qadri is to simply come back to Pakistan and face the music. We all are well aware that he has unlimited funds available to him and a huge and growing following due to the Minhajul Quran. Why does he always blame politicians for being corrupt? Non-corrupt politicians are an oxymoron in the subcontinent where every single individual is corrupt to the core. How can politicians be non-corrupt? We all know what happened in India. Anna Hazare had much better credentials and more widespread support than Tahirul Qadri but, sadly, nothing, absolutely nothing came of his movement. Why? Because people do not consider corruption to be a sin in the same league of, say, blasphemy. So, corruption is acceptable and blasphemy is not.

It must be clearly comprehended by all of us that the demonstrations in Islamabad were aimed at derailing democracy and destabilising the government. Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are seeking ‘justice’ but, in the real sense, they are playing the power politics game. I am of the view that these ‘leaders’ will soon join a single platform to destabilise the democratic system and create an environment for undemocratic forces to benefit. Why has Imran Khan not learnt anything from our history where such confrontations create even more space for the ‘third force’ to intervene? He is spreading anarchy in the country with his rallies. In other words, non-state actors are ‘using’ Imran Khan for their own political goals and benefits just as they have used other politicians in the past. They want Nawaz Sharif to be on the back foot on several key issues like foreign policy, the Pak-India relationship and national security.

Here I want to say on a serious note that flawed elections are old news in Pakistan. Pakistan is now being described as being more democratic than ever. Non-governmental society-based and society-oriented activity has increased with proliferation of the media, the information technology revolution and the growth of diverse social formations. If mankind has learnt anything from its history of millions of years it is that democracy is the best system of governance. Having said all this, I believe that democracy is the only solution to Pakistan’s problems. Pakistan is facing massive corruption and democracy is about accountability, which aims to end corruption. Pakistan is facing extremism and militancy, and democracy is about tolerance and dialogue, which is thus the answer to extremism.

My request to all opposition parties is that Pakistan’s democracy be strengthened and sustained because there is no other option available. However, democracy cannot take strong roots if individuals, groups and state institutions do not respect the constitution and the conventions of the parliamentary system in letter and spirit, and they do not try to dominate each other. They must also engage in mutual respect, tolerance and accommodation in governmental and societal affairs.

At this critical juncture, Pakistan is facing multi-faceted crises such as soaring prices, energy shortage, unemployment, crimes and lack of healthcare facilities. Besides, the country has perennially been facing subversive activities in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi and other parts of the country where security forces and law enforcement agencies are coping with the militants. Our rulers and other politicians must show statesmanlike qualities. The politics of accusation, shouting, rallies, protests and mob style agitation should be over.

My humble request to Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri and even to their supporters is that the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to complete its constitutional period of five years so that democracy can further be strengthened in the country and people ensure accountability through votes in the next general elections.

One suggestion to the PTI is that it should focuse on the next elections and push for electoral reforms and transparent methods of balloting rather than wasting its energies on populist, risky and adventurous games. Neither a midterm election nor a coup d’état guarantees that the PTI will be in power anytime soon. I will sum up with a quote from Friedrich Ebert: “Without democracy there is no freedom. Violence, no matter who is using it, is always reactionary.”

The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore and he can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com