Daily Times

Democracy and Pakistan have seldom been the best of friends. In fact, the relationship between the two has always been fluctuating, and there’s still no stability. Here’s a quick look at how the system has fared, and continues to, during Pakistan’s 70-year history.

What is Democracy?

Abraham Lincoln described democracy in such words: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” And that, pretty much sums it up.

Democracy is a system in which the general public elect, via the power of vote, the ruling governments and hold them accountable for their policies and conduct in office through the next round of elections.

Pakistan’s troubled relation with Democracy

Like mentioned above, Pakistan has never had a very smooth relation with democracy. That the country’s first general elections were held in 1970, 23 years after it came into existence, tells a lot about our political dynamics.

Prior to that, Pakistan was in a constant tug of war between various forms of government. That the dictatorial rule, however, would come back every now and then to haunt democratic values after the first general elections is a different case altogether.

What the dictators have given us so far?

No democracy. Perhaps, that is the best way to describe it. Pakistan has been governed by four dictators during the country’s 70 year history.

General Ayub Khan ruled Pakistan for 11 years, from 1958 to 1968. He was followed by General Yahya Khan in 1969, whose tenure lasted just 2 years. And just when you thought Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto would provide Pakistan with the much needed democratic boost, General Zia ul-Haq rattled his way into Pak politics and ruled for 11 more years.

But just when you thought General Zia and his policies were bad, General Musharraf raised his hand and marked another 9-year rule of dictatorship in the country in 1999.

The question however is what have the dictators have given us so far? Definitely, not democracy. The fact that Pakistan fought both its major wars with India in the periods of dictatorships and lost Siachen Glacier under Zia speaks volumes of the incompetence of the dictators we’ve had.

Flaws in Pakistan’s Democracy

Since the relation between Pakistan and democracy is troubled, there ought to be certain flaws in the system. And there surely are. The most critical of the flaws is corruption, and it is pretty much a root cause of all other problems.

That the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is buzzing with all the corruption cases at its disposal is an evidence of the dilemma. The more high profile case being that of ex-DG Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema making all the headlines.

Secondly, Pakistan’s political parties are more after power than they are after promoting their defined ideologies, if any. As a result, turncoats are welcomed by the parties ahead of every elections. And of course there’s the problem of dynastic politics.

Yet it is delivering

But despite all the odds, democracy continues has continued to produce fruitful results, to its credit.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a blooming example of democracy’s triumph.

The economic situation of the country is improving and energy crisis is being taken under control.

Dare I mention the elimination of terrorism from the country? Salute to our armed forces for their efforts, but it is a democratic government, after all, that has brought about a change in collaboration.

NFC Award consensus, Gilgit-Baltistan reforms, FATA merger into KP, the 18th Amendment,  Census 2017 are but only few of the gifts that the democracy has given us.

Hence, whosoever forms a government in the coming general elections 2018 must build upon the progress made and uphold the sanctity of democracy and its values.