Revisiting Charter of Democracy

Pakistan and political instability run side by side--under a democratic rule

Pakistan and political instability run side by side — well, under a democratic rule. ‘Democratic’ forces out of power tend to oppose those at the helms, to the extent of doing anything and everything to get rid of ‘such a democracy’. The decade of the 90s — replete with calls for army chief to ‘play his role’ — is the best case in point. The period witnessed the country’s two major political forces — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — wrestle with each other in the name of replacing ‘sham’ democracy with ‘accountable and people-centric’ rule, of course with the help of hidden hands. A recent attempt at bringing in ‘real’ democracy came in August 2014 when the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a 126-day-long sit-in in the federal capital, calling upon then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to go.

Khan’s attempt — also aided by cleric Tahirul Qadri and his thousands of followers — went in vain, but not without leaving the PM, an elected head of state, defocused and distracted as to his official obligations, implying a clear weakening of democracy. Similar attempts in the past too did democracy more harm than service — something that Sharif and his arch rival, Benazir Bhutto of the PPP, learnt the hard way years later. Consequently came the birth of the Charter of Democracy in the year 2006, with the two leaders pledging not to side with undemocratic forces in a bid to topple each other’s government. However, the lessons learnt were forgotten in no time, and the two parties were soon at the proverbial daggers drawn, accusing each other of breaking the pledge.

With democracy in trouble again, Bilawal Bhutto — who has taken over the PPP after the assassination of Ms Bhutto, his mother — has stressed the need for revisiting the Charter of Democracy for “ensuring the protection of fundamental and constitutional rights of the citizens”. He says he is ready to talk to all political parties to give the Charter a new form. Trite it may sound, but it’s true that democracy can only be cured with more democracy. But like all others that matter in the context, our political leaders too need to give democracy a chance, even if they find their rivals in the lead role.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2018.

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