I have been pondering over the recent mechanism of our country’s situation. I did an analysis, and since I am in a democratic regime, perhaps a little shattered, I think I have a voice that I can raise without it being succumbed into the traces (perhaps the upcoming storm) of censorships and dictatorial environment. Unless it becomes too late, I think I should smash the last beat on a drum to produce a loud and clear music – arrogant for some and pleasant for many. Music is complex, but when it comes to facing the music, a tiny dictionary in my mind cannot recall any vocab.
Let’s go back a little in the past, since it is our favorite time. Believe me it is. Whenever, it comes to GDP, economy, or trade deficit, you will hear people recalling the misleading facts representing bloomy-gloomy situation of Pakistan in the era of dictatorships and praetorian regimes. However, when you will ask them, “Why the situation got worse after?” They, in their own polite way will respond, “Due to poor strategies of the next government.” It is our unfortune that every “next” government is “democratic”. So, based on this hypothesis, they will tell you how “democracy” has ruined Pakistan. Leaving behind all the issues that new democratic governments had to face like re-erecting the civilian institutions, resurrecting the vision of parliament, recalling the constitution, reshaping the constitution to its original yet unbiased shape, and then putting forward the democratic process. It took me a few seconds to write this sentence; however, the list is so exhausting that it might consume several pages. I will leave that up to you to quest. Whatever I have listed, it takes time to process. Reassembling the vision of Quaid-e-Azam for democratic Pakistan, shattered by dictatorial or praetorian regimes, verily takes time.
I don’t even know that from the emergence of Pakistan on the map to 2008, what point on the timeline can we assume as “the birth of democracy” or “Pakistan becoming a newly born democracy.” Perhaps, we can relate it to the concept of “resurrection”. It is mainly because it has been murdered several times and majestically, it came back to life each time.
We witnessed the first assassination of our first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan. Who will doubt that he was not working for his people? After that, we witnessed the second “judicial murder” of another politician, who served as foreign minister, president, and prime minister of our country, “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto”. Let’s dig the history deeper: pull the information for I.I Chundrigar and other prime ministers and see who was able to complete his tenure? No one. After that, we saw our politicians who, time and again, faced several politically motivated cases, which were proved wrong later. If they were acquitted from such cases, why were such charges imposed on them during the government tenure. It is a game, and the players are amazingly unknown. Otherwise, if we know, we censor them – most of the times, it is sabotaged democratic force against real democratic force, or whatever. Let’s not forget our youngest and only female PM till now, Benazir Bhutto, whose political life involves cases, courts, jails, and finally a brutal assassination. Another politician who stood fast and devoted her life for the land she was determined to serve. After that, another prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was disqualified and removed from the position. Why? Because, he was asked to present the then Pakistani president before a magistrate level officer of another country. Well, if it was right, then why to cry over Shahid Abbasi, the ex-PM, going through strict security in the US. Either give respect to your executives, or no respect at all. In the former case, that respect surely uplifts the country’s position in the world. The United States have “The President” and we don’t even care to even give respect to such a prestigious position, rather we mock our politicians to prove that we are intellectuals.
I am not talking about the agreement or disagreement to policies here. Each person has different taste and choice, and in democracy, one can support anything or disagree with anything. I am just recalling that our politicians did not run away from facing the music. Although Nawaz Sharif did that for the time being, but this time he was really different in his approach and faced the courts. Keeping the PML-N’s few dramatized events aside like attack on judiciary, at-least courts could easily summon the party’s leader. It establishes the fact that yes, my politicians are subjected to accountability and they should be. However, not based on the law by the dictator, rather by the people we gave the right to exercise law-making. It is time to revaluate the parameters of the accountability and rephrase the laws as per the best interest of the democracy and the government machinery.
Now, it is the turn of ex-President Zardari. If I keep all my disagreements on his policies and strategies aside, I can straightforwardly say that he never ran away from facing the courts. Right now, unlike PML-N, the resentment of PPP against such charges are also democratic and I, as a citizen of Pakistan, appreciate that. It is beneficial for the interest of Pakistan to not spread chaos and fight within the constitutional restraints.
However, I wonder, how long my politicians have to face the gallops? How many hinderances in the democratic process are left. The current government members (not so democratic) can also face the similar situation in near future, and by the way, they seem not to care about it due to their rivalry with the opposition. I see it the same situation when Nawaz Sharif went against Benazir Bhutto for his politically maligned interest. In the same manner, Zardari did not support Nawaz in the first phase of the accountability charges. When can one see the political unity among the politicians on this issue?
We elect them to run the state, not to prepare for the cases.
My apologies, I am a person who believes that governments should be accountable for their actions after their tenure is over. The modern world practices “immunity” for a reason. In USA, government has a right to say “no” to any court call. Specifically, a company cannot even file a case against government in the court without their approval to do so.
My politicians faced the music, some appeared before the court, and many received sentences. They served and got served. However, what about dictators? What about Aleema Khan – the sister of the current PM? What about Pervaiz Musharraf? Name any one who faced such cases and was treated as such. My politicians go to exile in determination to come back, and they do. They make deals like CPEC, devise laws and policies, upsurge human development, and benefit the people. You can agree or disagree with their policies openly – and they give you right to do that as well based on democratic principles.
It is democratic government and our politicians who provide us the freedom of expression, freedom to protest, freedom to demand rights, freedom to exercise rights, freedom to disagree or agree with them, freedom to hold them accountable, and freedom to question them.
By witnessing the lines to buy “flour” in Musharraf era, seeing censorship on media, unnecessary war moves, and what else. Such hegemonies have destroyed the progress factor of my country.
With that, I am left to say nothing, but my politicians are my saviors. However, if they want their survival, they need to remain united whilst keeping their political differences aside. Because, we don’t have Faiz, Jalib, and Asma Jahangir like people anymore. The sole responsibility lies on the shoulders of politicians. If not now, then when?