While the leadership of every party is flourishing, people of Pakistan are suffocating
ISLAMABAD: A government of the people for the people by the people is real democracy. The purpose of the government is to work for the betterment of people, provide them with basic necessities of life, and ensure basic freedoms for every citizen irrespective of race, gender, religion or ethnicity. The purpose of opposition is to keep an eye on the government. Make sure they keep their promises and work for the betterment of the country. Any departure from this is a travesty of the democratic system. Unfortunately, although we tend to call Pakistan a democracy, it is anything but a democratic country. Our ruling elite work only for self-serving purposes, be it those in government or the ones in the opposition. Ideally, parties should grow from bottom to top so that people have a say in electing their party leader and how the country is to be run. However, in our country, no party is truly democratic. Leaders are selected not elected by a handful of close family or friends. None of the parties allows the voice of a common person to be heard. This is the reason that parties are only loyal to their leadership. While the leadership of every party is flourishing, people of Pakistan are suffocating under the burden of extreme inflation, corruption, unemployment, and lack of health facilities. I believe that things will change only when people will stand up and hold their leaders accountable through their vote, ask questions within parties, and make their vote count. Unless that happens, our ruling elite will keep taking us for granted as they know well, we tend to follow them blindly and defend every folly they commit putting their own welfare ahead of people and the country.
Raja Shafaatullah
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2020.
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