Politics is dirty, and the dirtiest wins. That is how the new definition of this field of human occupation seems as we look around and see what all is being said and done under the guise of being politically correct. To be in the public eye, politicians must either do dramatics of being the wronged ones or create theatrics of being the right ones. The current government has had so much practice in shoving every scandal under the carpet, and the opposing parties so adept at bringing out every skeleton from the political cupboard, that it is almost like a soap opera in its hundredth episode, i.e. too predictable to be taken seriously.
From Mehrangate to Memogate the star performers are the government, the army and some unknown miscreants. Typically, a horrendous incident takes place that involves top-level breeches of security; the government acts like a lame duck; the army takes a stunned and aggrieved approach and the opposition cries murder. Relationships look fragmented and tattered, and a coup or change or suspension of important people looks imminent, only to peter off into loud claims, then not so loud clarifications and finally the status quo.
Such thick-skinned politics is unique in the world — nothing is too big or too disastrous not to become trivial with the passage of time.
If we examine news priorities each day, be it print or electronic, it seems clear that the major share of headlines and reports are devoted to scandals or scandalous statements. Political tussles have completely overshadowed the real issues of the country. This is a country that is in an economic mess where the daily expense of running the country far exceeds the revenue generated; where the aid and loans that are taken to bridge this gap are non options; where every resource be it electricity, water or gas are becoming scarce and extinct; where healthcare is at the mercy of doctors off duty and nurses on strike; and where education is the least budgeted, debated and focused on subject. With so much to correct, reform and restore how is it possible that these issues become tertiary matters for leaders who profess to save and strengthen Pakistan. The number of press conferences being held and reported is on an all time high. However, the topics of the press conferences are either character assassination or complete denial of reality. Led by the king of denial, Rehman Malik, the government has adopted a mocking and slandering style of addressing the personal issues of the opposition. As the PML-N chants ‘Go Zardari Go’, Babar Awan, with his ability to ridicule, holds counter press conferences and goes into condescending dismissal of the opposition. Such is the rhetoric of the two opponents that even making fun of each other’s appearances seem to fit in with their code of decency.
Why is there such a focus on these base issues? Primarily because talking and taking up personal issues are the major competence areas of both parties. As far as public issues like the economy and governance are concerned, they reflect the failures they share equally and they know that a thorough examination of these issues will find them wanting in every area. The PML-N has admitted to its failure to run Punjab effectively but has not taken the responsibility for this failure, blaming the Centre instead. However, its claims are very easily denounced by the Centre, as the Centre mentions the glaring mismanagement of dengue and the intermediate results as being typical examples of provincial mismanagement.
This has been the story of the longest period of democratic rule our country has witnessed in decades. This normally leads to the debate of our country not being fit for democracy or to rumours about the army deliberately encouraging chaos to find an excuse for takeover. It is neither. Democracy, regardless of the state of affairs in a country, is the best system for national development. However, if it is only used as a branded package to hide autocratic designs of people lusting for power, it is going to lead to a bigger mess. Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Whenever this spirit of democracy is crushed, it will become a meaningless exercise open to attack and abuse. A classic example is the dummy parliament that we have. On every national and international issue, parliament passes resolutions only to find that no implementation is taking place. From drones to price hikes, numerous examples are available where parliament’s decisions are dismissed by the ruling party. To call this democracy is serious political blasphemy. The myopic approach of our leaders has made them misunderstand the implications of a democratic system. In their opinion, politics is a zero-sum game. They feel that if they look after the interests of the public it will be at the expense of their own personal interests. However, the opposite is true. To protect their long-term interests, they must look after the interests of the public, as only those who have people’s power behind them will survive a change in government. After their backdoor entry is shut, they will either try to live in exile or get caught by the wrath of the public or of their opponents in power. Why is it that this simple logic does not register with our political aspirants? Primarily because the path to public satisfaction is long and arduous, and because there is an abundance of people who took the shortcut and reached the top. Thus, the examples to emulate are of those who succeeded by breaking all the rules. However, though the success rate of reaching the top by bending the law may be high, the sustainability rate is almost zero. The only sustainable strategy is to take care of public issues so as to ensure that they in turn take care of your needs when you need them.
The writer is an analyst, consultant and information Secretary of PTI Punjab. She can be reached at [email protected]