Democracy means government of
the people, by the people, for the people. Meaning thereby, in its true essence,
a realistic system of democracy is when the elected representatives of the
people, among them, are authorized to work for them at provincial and federal
level but with answerability and accountability. Democracy is middle way as
compared to anarchy, communism and dictatorship. Discussing democracy in the
context of Pakistan is same as to find the dropped drop of water in the river.
Making a retrospection of the past events we hardly find a democratic government
completing its tenure, further harder to unearth the true essence of democracy
in Pakistan.
When the PPP government completed its tenure, a tussle started between all
political parties for power. People were completely fussed by the prevailing
restlessness, insecurity, foreign invasions threats, inflation, and chagrin.
There were roars of slogans in the streets of Pakistan, so-called claims to
change the destiny, declarations to transform the system, affirmations to make
Pakistan a just and equitable state. But what happened at the end. We are there
where we were two years ago, rather sometime I feel that we are more deplorable
and downtrodden than ever before. In the PML-N government we have suffered more,
both, in terms of physical and spiritual. Till yet this government has left many
stains on the already blemished-image of Pakistan. But still I will not say that
democracy has failed, rather we have failed, and we have failed to promulgate
the democracy in its true sense.
Now in the prevailing circumstances I ask a question, do we need deomocracy? In
my answer, in my view, yes we really need it but not in documents. We need its
application and implementation.
Let me give few arguments that why do we need democracy? To me it seems the only
solution of Pakistan’s problems. Baluchistan’s alienation can be cured by giving
him just and equitable representation in legislative and provincial assemblies.
Security issues and the threat of foreign invasion can be eliminated by adopting
a real-non compromising attitude on country’s sovereignty and integrity. Poverty
and acts of suicide, because of non-availability of food, can be brought to
minimal rate by realizing the representative governments that people are not
just vote casters, they are real-alive-human beings who need adequate facilities
for their survival and sustainability. Democracy is a system of accountability
thus a natural heal on the wounds of corruption, nepotism, favouritism.
Democracy is all about tolerance and dialogue thus an ultimate solution to
racism, sectarianism, provincialism, extremism and many more isms.
“Democracy is constructed like an edifice, freedom by freedom, right by right
until it reaches its snapping point”
Democracy doesn’t teach the representatives to rule only, rather to own the
country and its people. The people of Pakistan now don’t want to hear only the
uproar of democratic slogans rather they need democratic representation. Ibraham
Lincoln says that “As I would not be a slave, I would not be a master, that my
idea of democracy”
If anyone now asks me? Do we need a revolution, I’ll say “yes” we need
revolution; we need “Inqilaab” but not the type of that of Imran Khan’s and
Tahir-ul-Qadri’s. I don’t want revolution in terms of sudden change rather a
gradual, through and enormous transformation, an eternal change of autocratic
behavior, laws and mind-set to a democratic one’s. We don’t need a change of
system rather a change in system. One more thing to understand that it will not
revolutionize the Pakistan immediate as it is launched rather it need some time
to sink in each and every soul and until then we can only pray and hope for a
better Pakistan.