The dawn of democracy

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Seventy years later, Pakistan still grapples with the question of state and political relationships. Our founding fathers laid the foundation of a country after an intense political movement which culminated in the creation of Pakistan. The struggle began soon after its creation, initially civil bureaucrats preyed upon the country’s weak political system through Ghulam Muhammad, an Indian Civil Service officer who was later appointed as Pakistan’s first finance minister. The move created political mistrust, the country could never recover from. Pakistanis are the victims of this squabble between state and the establishment. Pakistan paid a price of this squabbling and mistrust in 1971 when its eastern wing separated. It was expected from both sides after 1971 debacle that lessons would be learnt and this dilemma would be settled once and for all.

The establishment then decided to produce its own lot of politicians. Rise of the Sharifs to a long rule is due to the favours the establishment has rendered. Nawaz Sharif almost faced an ouster previously by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, but later the court declared him eligible to hold public office. Mr Sharif is the first deposed prime minister who despite being the establishment’s own product is now openly challenging his mentors. The PML-N is somehow demanding the same as what the PPP has been vying for more than four decades. Dethroning of Sharif will certainly bring political forces even closer. The country’s 70^th anniversary is about to witness an unusual change. Pakistan is going through troubling times yet there is hope that the current situation will bring good for the country. There will be a dawn of real democracy which will address the real issues of the common man.

Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2017.

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