The writer hosts a show called “Capital Circuit” for News One and tweets @FarrukhKPitafi
Many of my esteemed colleagues, too, lost all sense of perspective. Everything wrong in this country had to be democracy’s fault. The troubles that the incumbents inherited and those they invented through their bad governance were to be used to build a case against democracy. But when has this system ever been allowed to operate? Mind you, in 65 years of our existence, this is the time that the people are being offered a true chance to bring change in government. They elected this lot, they suffered because of their misconduct and for the first time they get the chance to sack them. But some among us still want to behave as if democracy is something broken that needs fixing.
But what else do you expect from a country where you have boundless freedom of expression but no tolerance for imagination. A continued process will empower the masses, sensitise them, educate them and give them hitherto absent sense of ownership that will enable them to take their duties towards the state more seriously. If this process continues there is a genuine chance of transition from a hard state to a strong and more responsible one in Pakistan.
Let me be honest here. I am no apologist for the incumbents. They have brought this country to a grinding halt through their ineptness, lack of preparedness and moral courage. There is no gainsaying that our national debt, inflation and corruption in the society have all risen to new heights in the last five years. But what a peculiar time have we chosen to voice our concerns. We are barely months away from elections. And while small bits might be failing to work in tandem, the superstructure of the state is evolving.
There are three things worth noting here. First, that the class of politicians that some of us are so weary of was groomed not by a democratic dispensation but by generations of dictators. By blaming this class you blame not democracy but dictatorship. Second, unlike dictatorship, democracy gives you a chance to sack an inefficient government every five years, a privilege constantly denied to the people of this country. In contrast, even if a truly enlightened despot rules the country with maximum efficiency, there is no method to guarantee smooth succession to an equally benevolent dictator. Third, democracy is not merely the name of a process to elect a government. Everything from a free media, a vigilant judiciary, an independent election commission and a boisterous civil society are an inherent part of democracy. Together they work to ensure that the future rulers show even more deference to the wishes of their constituents and rule of law. Already the Supreme Court sent an elected prime minister home and despite all its defiance, the ruling coalition had to respect the court’s verdict.
It is an evolutionary process and without it, we would still have been Neanderthals. We have wasted 65 years in trying to bring about overnight change. And we have failed miserably every time we tried. It is about time that we start showing some patience, for there are no shortcuts in evolution.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2013.
COMMENTS (8)
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I agree with most of what is written but just a few reminders.
It is our democratic right to protest and to seek change through the political process.
A government is not guaranteed a five year term, the people can sack them at anytime if enough of them desire so.
Hopefully the democratic process will continue to mature in Pakistan, and as you mentioned all segments of society will have to play their part for that to happen.
However, the other argument is not that we do not want democracy - rather that we want a functioning/mature democracy. They contend that the status quo cannot be changed simply by repeating the process. They argue that we have systemic faults, that prevent change and it is to remove these roadblocks that people came out.
So in that sense I find your article asking the wrong questions. I believe there is a consensus on being a democratic country, the greater debate is how to make headway towards making it a functioning democracy that delivers a competent system of governance.
Sadly many of our mullahs think we have made tremendous progress for the past 65 years. We must become Bedoiun Arabs in thought and action. Hudood Ordinance, honour killings, disfigurement and mutilation of women by cutting of their body parts or throwing acid on them because of “honour”. This to many Pakistanis is a positive development.
Good op-ed. Pakistanis need to stop seeing democracy as the reason for their problems; if you go to a quack to treat an illness and end up worse for weather, find fault not with the medical profession, but with your poor sense of judgment. It is the parties and political view points that people vote for that is the problem, as well as those forces which would like to see democracy discredited because it weakens their grip on the nation. The same issues exist in India, where people are fed up with endless charges of corruption being leveled against the current UPA government, but no one blames it on democracy.
very nice article let the people decide in coming election that who rule the pakistan not army or judiciary
Very level headed and well written. When you talk of evolution you mean a process that takes the country upwards. The fear here is that the process will at best take the country sideways if not downwards.
A very sensible and pragmatic Op Ed, that ET for printing that. It is sad but the truth is we believe in prayers, miracles, still go to pir not the real doctors and do not believe in evolution. We pray to God after each prayer to change our plight, but never promise that from today I am not going to adulterate food, basic necessity for babies and life milk, not take bribe, not tell lies, etc. We leave it all for God to change and never make any commitment that from today I am doing this. We are moving further and further away from scientific thinking and evolution has to wait for a long time. Some blame their problem to others from govt to democracy to feudal and foreign powers. During the better part of its history Pakistan is ruled by generals not politicians. The generals created Convention ML, Zia's ML, the Mush's ML-Q and so on. There are politicians and shady characters who have always served the generals. Yet the blame does not ever go to the generals who have created these political characters for their own power. In addition these generals with dictatorial powers could change feudal system but they perpetuated it to strengthen their own rule.
The article is self-explaining, and overtly criticizing the clouts in the various walks of life, who are not very much supportive to the democratic process in Pakistan. Pakistan for the last 65 years has been ruled by the generals for 32 years, and almost half by the politicians. The author has tried to emphasize on the atrocities committed by the establishment by derailing democracy in Pakistan. However, the author unable to mention politician role in jeopardizing the Democratic process by bringing their Favorite generals in power by all means. Here i must say, we must see that democracy is all inclusive, means every person is the part of the game, whether it is generals, or the damn politicians. I must say that both have been on the same page for the sixty years to loot Pakistan. The fact remains there, the people of Pakistan has never been able to vote out their representative, however, the people of Pakistan has also been supportive to the dictatorship. We must understand that the soil of Pakistan is still infertile to neuritis the plant of democracy. Rather every experiment has been proven futile to bring some sort of democracy in Pakistan. Moreover, he talked about his own media colleagues, Sir, very respectfully, today i see the media owners are more responsible for this situation rather the anchors or reporters. No one can refute to his head, if he says go and highlight TUQ march, because he is getting advertisements. At the end, money does matter for the TV channels in order survive.
The article is self-explaining, and overtly criticizing the clouts in the various walks of life, who are not very much supportive to the democratic process in Pakistan. Pakistan for the last 65 years has ruled by the generals for 32 years, and almost half by the politicians. The author has tried to emphasize on the atrocities committed by the establishment by derailing democracy in Pakistan. However, the author unable to mention politician role in jeopardizing the Democratic process by bringing their Favorite generals by all means. Here i must say, we must see that democracy is all inclusive, means every person is the part of the game, whether it is generals, or the damn politicians. I must say that both have been on the same page for the sixty years to loot Pakistan. The fact remains there, the people of Pakistan has never been able to vote out their representative, however, the people of Pakistan also supportive to dictatorship too. We must understand the the soil of Pakistan is still fertile to neuritis the plant of democracy. Rather every experiment has been proven futile to bring some sort of democracy in Pakistan. On other hand, he talk about his own media colleague, Sir very respectfully, today i see the media owner are more responsible for this situation rather the anchors or reporter. No one can refute to his head if he says go and highlight TUQ march, because he is getting advertisements. At the end, money does matter for the TV channels in order survive.