The head of the party (limited company) can fire any member found not following the head’s orders.
LAHORE: Our mainstream political parties are like private limited companies, as in they are owned by a family and the chief executive has all the powers and does not share them with anyone else. Also, members of the party are treated not as equals but as employees. The head of the party (limited company) can fire any member found not following the head’s orders. So if one wants to thrive in such a situation, he will have to do as the party chief says. He will have to prove his loyalty to the boss and what better way to do this than to become the master’s voice.
He must praise the party chief day and night, consider the party chief’s happiness his own and must have the ability to never refuse any directive from above, regardless of whether it may be outside the bounds of ethics and morality.
It is because of this prevailing culture in our mainstream political parties that educated people who have some self-respect and integrity refuse to enter politics.
ST Hussain
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2011.
