Government’s targeting of ECP and the press draws ire from PILDAT

While expressing satisfaction at the recently concluded peaceful and largely fair Cantonment Boards elections, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has shown extreme concern on the continuing overreach against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the rising tide of autocratic attitudes towards media in Pakistan on the International Day of Democracy.

The International Day of Democracy is celebrated globally on September 15 and provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. According to the United Nations, the International Day of Democracy also encourages the world's governments to strengthen democracy.
Pakistan has a lot of distance to cover in strengthening the state of democracy as demonstrated by the global indices of democracy for 2021.

This year, Pakistan has dropped a point from the last year’s score of 38 to 37 out of 100 in the Freedom in the World 2021 Index published by Freedom House.

Swedish Varieties of Democracy or V-Dem Institute’s report titled ‘Autocratization Turns Viral: Democracy Report 2021’ has characterized Pakistan as an ‘Electoral Autocracy’ and places it in the bottom 30-40% countries with a Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) rank of 116. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Democracy Index continues to place Pakistan in the category of 'Hybrid Regime' with a score of 105.

This situation could worsen as the PTI government has already taken an unprecedented and dangerous attitude towards the Election Commission of Pakistan. Their scathing criticism began when the Prime Minister accused the ECP to have 'damaged democracy and morality' and continued further when key federal ministers demanded resignations from all 5 members of the constitutional body.

Another terrible and utterly condemnable low was reached when Federal Minister Azam Swati lashed out at the ECP saying that the constitutional body should be "set on fire." Instead of resorting to better judgement and sensibility, other Federal Ministers joined this deplorable chorus of attacks against the ECP."PILDAT deplores the continuing irresponsible attitude of some of the government ministers towards the ECP and stands in solidarity with the constitutional body," declared a statement made by PILDAT on the matter.

Another important index measuring the state of democracy is media freedom. International voices have consistently criticized the PTI government for its massive crackdown against the media and for failing to protect media freedom in Pakistan.

Recently, Reporters without Borders had included Prime Minister Imran Khan in the "gallery of grim portraits of 37 Heads of State or Government who crack down massively on press freedom." Despite continuing domestic and international criticism in this regard, another low was reached on September 13 when the Press Gallery in the National Assembly was locked and journalists were barred from entering it as the President of Pakistan was fulfilling the constitutional requirement of opening another parliamentary year through his address to the Joint Session of Parliament.

"It is inexplicable how a politically-elected government can stoop so low as to deny freedom of information and maintain a hostile attitude towards the media. Denying media entry into the Press Gallery to cover the President's address to the Joint Session is utterly condemnable," stated PILDAT.

As an indigenous independent think tank working to strengthen democracy and democratic governance in Pakistan for the past two decades, PILDAT maintained that instead of weakening democracy, the Government must realize that Pakistan's future is tied to strengthening and not undermining democracy.

"As Pakistan grapples with a vast variety of challenges of democratic governance, it is important for the state and society not to lose sight of the democratic genesis of Pakistan and future prosperity solely linked with democracy," stated PILDAT.