Hamza Nasir in his letter (May 15) says democracy is the panacea of all ills and the alternative is military rule and dictatorship. I say, is it democracy or dictatorship when the President is taking all decisions? He is the one going around the world, meeting world leaders, even signing treaties with them. Is there any difference between what we have today and what we had in the days of Musharraf? In a parliamentary democracy all of the above functions are performed by the PM, who is the executive head, and not the president who is only a constitutional head. It is the Prime Minister who is answerable to the parliament and not the President. The checks and balances inherent in a democracy are totally missing here. The Prime Minister and the parliament are under the thumb, even scared that they may not annoy the President and invite the wrath of 58(2) b upon themselves. No sir, we do not have democracy. This is dictatorship in another name. -KHURSHID ANWER, Lahore, via e-mail, May 16.