There is a proverb saying “happy is the nation which has no history”, but Pakistan has a history: A history of treachery and betrayal of the objectives of the creation of a separate homeland; a history of flouting and undermining the vision of the founder father; a history of pummelling the constitution and governing through extra-constitutional steps; a history of military dictators derailing the democratic process and destroying the institutions of the state to assuage their lust for power; a history of total moral degradation as a nation and a history of politicians subverting the continuation of democratically elected governments.
Pakistan, therefore, is grieved and lying flat on its back due to the self-inflicted wounds and tragedies. Leaving aside what the military dictators did to the country, the most worrying phenomenon is that the politicians and the political parties whose governments interspersed the dictatorial regimes never made sincere efforts to change course and put the country on the path of real democracy as prescribed by the architect of the nation. They have shown no inclination to learn from history.
In spite of crying hoarse from every convenient rooftop to pronounce their democratic credentials they have acted to the contrary. Democracy is about ascendency of the people in regards to running the state affairs through their elected representatives, giving respect to vote by accepting the results of the elections and allowing the governments thus formed to complete their tenure interrupted. Any conduct to the contrary is a negation of democracy.
If we apply the foregoing yardstick, it is not difficult to infer that our political parties do not believe in democratic norms which are imperative to strengthen democracy. It has almost become visceral with them not to accept the election results and indulge in machinations to destabilise the sitting government. They do not believe in seeking redress to their complaints in regards to results of the elections from the constitutional and legal forums available to them.
The movement launched by the PDM against the PTI government is quintessentially of the same political culture. They actually have no legitimate cause to seek the end of the government. Their campaign is premised on two things which they prefer as the cause to pull down the government. The first is that the government came into being as a result of the rigged elections and therefore lacked legitimacy to rule the country. The claim sounds quite bizarre in view of the fact that they have not come up with any credible evidence to prove it except verbal rhetoric. Most of the losing candidates of the parties in the PDM and their leaders are not on record to have sought remedy from the election tribunals for the alleged rigging and electoral irregularities immediately after the elections which belies their claim of rigging.
If the leaders of the PDM parties think that they are being subjected to a witch-hunt they should seek relief from the courts instead of resorting to agitation. It is pertinent to point out that in many cases the courts have given relief to the accused persons. They keep saying that they have trust in the courts of law but at the same time are hell bent to opt for other options which are disruptive in nature as far as strengthening democracy is concerned.
The other reason given by PDM is that under the stewardship of the PTI government the economy has hit rock bottom and the snowballing inflation has made the lives of the people miserable. Granted that they are a hundred percent right on this account but again that is not a legitimate cause to destabilise the government and consign the country to political instability. If the government is not performing well as they claim, then the judgment has to be made by the people after the completion of its tenure. Neither the constitution nor the democratic norms permit agitations to dislodge the government for its poor performance as perceived by its opponent parties.
The present confrontation between PDM and the government at a time when the country is confronted with formidable security and economic challenges, is surely not in the interest of the country. In a democratic dispensation the ruling and the opposition parties are considered to be two sides of the same coin. The latter are known as government in the waiting. The role of the two is to promote and secure the national interests and consolidate the gains of democracy by giving respect to the vote in the real sense.
Needless to emphasise that the governing system in vogue has failed to deliver to the masses. The country needs systemic changes to make democracy work and get rid of the culture of undermining the sitting government through illegal and undemocratic machinations. For that the government and the opposition parties have to sit together to set the process of reforms rolling in the interest of the future of this god gifted country. Their failure to feel the pulse of the time will push the country towards permanent instability. Surely there will be no winners as a result of the permeating ambience of confrontation. In the end democracy and people will have to suffer. Can the country afford it? That is what our politicians must ask themselves. If they honestly search their souls the answer, I am sure will be that the course adopted by them was inimical to the national interests and democracy which they claim was so dear to them.
Malik Muhammad Ashraf
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com.