Lecture on democracy: ‘Pakistan lacks prerequisites
Bajwa said he expected change through mass movements rather than initiative from the political elite.
“The change would come from social movements geared by the sheer weight of people as happened in the case of Egypt and Tunisia, or in the restoration of Chief Justice in Pakistan,” says Bajwa. DESIGN: SUNARA NIZAMI
ISLAMABAD:
Democracy might not exact the best revenge in Pakistan unless the prerequisites for democracy are provided in the country.
This was the central premise of a lecture by Naseem Bajwa, a barrister and the editor of The Voice, a UK-based journal. The lecture, titled “Democracy: The Sociopolitical and Cultural Preconditions”, was organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad on Monday.
Bajwa said the Pakistani political system lacks some basic preconditions for democracy such as democratisation of political parties, integrity, service delivery, accountability and strict adherence to the rule of law.
Without introducing radical reforms and preconditions to democracy, the current inept and corrupt system is unable to produce any tangible change and would further destabilise society, he said.
Bajwa said he expected change through mass movements rather than initiative from the political elite.
“The change would come from social movements geared by the sheer weight of people as happened in the case of Egypt and Tunisia, or in the restoration of Chief Justice in Pakistan,” he said.
Bajwa also supported local government during his lecture.
“Decentralisation of government to elected district, tehsil and community councils would increase accessibility and accountability at grassroots level, which is the norm in other democratic societies,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2013.
Democracy might not exact the best revenge in Pakistan unless the prerequisites for democracy are provided in the country.
This was the central premise of a lecture by Naseem Bajwa, a barrister and the editor of The Voice, a UK-based journal. The lecture, titled “Democracy: The Sociopolitical and Cultural Preconditions”, was organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad on Monday.
Bajwa said the Pakistani political system lacks some basic preconditions for democracy such as democratisation of political parties, integrity, service delivery, accountability and strict adherence to the rule of law.
Without introducing radical reforms and preconditions to democracy, the current inept and corrupt system is unable to produce any tangible change and would further destabilise society, he said.
Bajwa said he expected change through mass movements rather than initiative from the political elite.
“The change would come from social movements geared by the sheer weight of people as happened in the case of Egypt and Tunisia, or in the restoration of Chief Justice in Pakistan,” he said.
Bajwa also supported local government during his lecture.
“Decentralisation of government to elected district, tehsil and community councils would increase accessibility and accountability at grassroots level, which is the norm in other democratic societies,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2013.