Politics and power in Pakistan

Pakistan’s politics is a paragon of paradoxes. The country’s democracy is fraught with anti-democratic practices and the political environment is charged with turmoil and apolitical culture. Pakistan’s politics is a contest for power and democracy is a tool to legitimise this gamble for the throne. Since its inception, instability and polarisation have characterised Pakistan’s administrative landscape, but the recent unsettling tumultuous power game indicates anarchism. The whim and wishes of the powerbrokers are more important in national affairs compared to the constitutional or democratic tenets because of which state laws are manipulated along pro-elitist lines.

The ongoing contest for power has exposed the deep-rooted malaise, which pushed the country to an uncharted trajectory. The roots of the ongoing musical chair lie in the decades of mal-intent and mal-governance of the power-seeking elite. What has pushed the country to the brink of moral, political, and economic bankruptcy and default? The answer to this lies in the very intent, behaviour, and policies of the empowered class. Though the historical and socio-economic factors have played a part, the elite capture of the country’s reign and their ruthless embezzlement of the Constitutional and public trust have done the greatest damage.

A handful of elites have shaped the country’s stakes and resources in a self-serving manner. They have done so by systematically peddling deceptive and malignant narratives framed around democracy, national security, ideology, patriotism, religion, and history. These narratives have enabled the aristocratic encroachment of legal, economic, social, and psychological domains of the society to the extent of becoming the ultimate destiny designers of the country.

Although some rules are followed, the country’s democracy has been reduced to a circus. This is manifested in the practice of auctions under the garb of elections, which is the staircase to the power corridor. The highest bidder clings to power and accumulates as many assets as possible. Apart from that, the ones with the proven skills in hypocrisy and treachery successfully claim their share in power and continue feasting on the public exchequer for years. Consequently, a large proportion of the public has been transformed into objects to earn the legitimisation of power in the electoral drama. The people are left at the mercy of the systemically carved miseries of poverty, illiteracy, and inflation.

In the past 27 government setups, the country has experienced a chequered history, the empowered elite have done nothing sustainable to put the country on track. The ruling elites are only concerned about power and money and are willing to do anything to achieve them. They have billions of rupees to buy electable but nothing to provide relief to the country’s population that is being consumed by poverty.

The unsatiating megalomania has turned the country into a laughingstock for the world. The people have been forced to deal with the multitude of issues on their own whilst the ruling elite has remained involved in the power game. Persistent devaluation of rupees, back-breaking inflation, an economy on the verge of bankruptcy, rain destruction, growing poverty, and unemployment have made people’s lives miserable. But the ruling class continue to stand for financial and power maximisation and are not interested in redirecting their attention to the people’s agonies. Therefore, expecting anything good from the elite would be no shorter than an illusion.

The way forward is to free the country from chronic elite capture, which is only possible through enlightening the public about the social contract, fundamental rights, and the value of the vote. Though this might be arduous, it is the only way to achieve sustainable salvation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2022.

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