Daily Times

While democracy appears to be on decline in the United States and elsewhere after the election of President Trump, it is heartening to note that one of largest Muslim nations in the world, Pakistan is heading towards another democratic transition through general elections this month. Successful completion of two consecutive democratic terms for a country like Pakistan — which has seen extensive military rule since its inception in 1947 — is definitely an achievement. Despite its flaws, democracy is the best hope for over 200 million Pakistanis, a quarter of whom are still living below the poverty line.

Please note, no democracy could be called perfect in this age, but it has still proven to be the best system of governance across the world. When democracy was born in the 5th century BC at Athens, it was meant to provide a political system of self-governance for the citizens, aimed at serving the interest of the majority.  For much of the twentieth century, the United States of America was the leader in promoting and promulgating democracy and democratic values internationally. With the Trump presidency, that leadership has eroded and virtually disappeared. The obsessive emphasis on America First and the withdrawal from alliances and international agreements combined with the instigation of trade wars will only lead to the inevitable conclusion of America being alone and last. A nation cannot lead from that position.

There is a significant vacuum that must be filled if democracy and the search for it is to be a defining characteristic of this century. Pakistan could become an example too for the world, with its transition from a developing to a developed country through sustained democracy. During the last two terms, Pakistan has come a long way. Pakistan has a potential to be a beacon of hope for democracy in the world.

Pakistan has achieved major feats during this democratic tenure, especially in the areas of security and economy. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2017, incidents of terrorism have been on the decline in Pakistan for the last three consecutive years. The improving security situation has attracted foreign investments, including those related to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Pakistan’s economy also faired relatively well under the democratic governments. The Economic Survey 2018 revealed the percentage of Pakistanis living below the poverty line has fallen to 24.3 percent in 2015-16 from 50.4 percent in 2005-06. The country’s GDP growth rate has gone up from 1.71 percent in 2008 to 5.7 percent in 2018. Over the last few months, the economy has struggled against the rising dollar and foreign debt, but economic indicators have still managed to improve over the last five years. After the transition to democracy in 2008, these victories have the potential to make Pakistan a role model for the countries which are still under autocratic rules.

However, no one can deny that Pakistan’s democracy has not been able to achieve its optimum level in terms of providing better living conditions to the population so far. I was reading a very interesting article about Pakistan’s democracy in The New York Times which revealed how the rural population in Pakistan is still unable to reap the full benefits of the best system of governance. “In our villages and small towns, we don’t have political leaders; we have brokers and thugs who sell our votes to federal politicians and their backers in the military establishment. Democracy serves a singular purpose in the village: to maintain the power of our feudal lords and to further enrich them and their families,” wrote Ali Akbar Natiq, a poet and novelist from Pakistan in his article.

In today’s digital age, a party can’t perpetuate its rule without improving its performance. If democracy is allowed to flourish, it is bound to improve the lives of the citizenry

Also, a large portion of Pakistanis living in urban areas still lack access to quality education and healthcare facilities. According to the latest National Human Development Report launched this year, Pakistan is one of the countries that has the largest population under 30 and the second youngest population in the South Asian region after Afghanistan. The report says 64 percent of the total population is below the age of 30 while 29 percent is between the ages of 15 and 29 years. This youth bulge will critically impact Pakistan as a country if not dealt with appropriately, depending on how the country invests in the youth by providing them with quality education, employment and meaningful engagement opportunities. Clean drinking water is another ticking time-bomb for Pakistan and Pakistan needs to find a solution to this challenging problem.

Also despite the introduction of democracy, there are complaints of discrimination against women and minorities, human-rights violations and curbs on press freedom. Pakistan would also need to address these complaints to become a true democracy which respects all the values attributed to this form of governance.

To become a true democracy, Pakistan must free its free press and take the steps and actions necessary to enable the press to speak the truth. It must protect journalists and their right to freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.

Much work is needed, but, I am cautiously optimistic. Also, unlike in the US, civic education has never been a major part of the curriculum in Pakistan nor has it had a targeted focus nationally. It needs both.

The youth of today are the citizens of tomorrow. Pakistani educational, civic and political leaders must recognise this and collaborate to develop an effective civic education approach to be implemented in classrooms across the country.

In my opinion, a sustained democracy has the potential to solve many of Pakistan’s current challenges. As the saying goes “even the worst democracy is better than dictatorship”. In today’s digital age, a party can’t perpetuate its rule without improving its performance. If democracy is allowed to flourish, it is bound to improve the lives of the citizenry. The people should be allowed to decide who governs them. Over the last 10 years, Pakistanis have witnessed the performance of two mainstream parties. Now the time has come for Pakistan to vote for multi-parties.

Now the decision is in the hands of 105.96 million voters who will be out on July 25 to elect the next government. We should trust their judgment and hope that Pakistan will emerge as a peaceful, prosperous and stable country and a strong democracy under the new government.

The writer is an Entrepreneur, Civic Leader, and Thought Leader based in Washington DC. The views expressed here are personal

Published in Daily Times, July 24^th 2018.