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Friday March 29, 2024

Privatisation of politics

By Mazhar Abbas
February 12, 2016

Whatever the final outcome of the PIA workers demands and possible privatisation of PIA or other institutions would be, it surely will have a major impact on Pakistan's future politics which is slowly but surely is getting privatised too.

Four days strike was unprecedented in the recent aviation history of Pakistan but the manner in which it ended, was perhaps a bit disappointing for the PIA workers and Joint Action Committee (JAC).

If one looks this strike in a larger political context, the dilemma of the democratic governments in the recent times has been their anti-democratic and anti-political character. They do things in the same manner which military dictators do, but the means are different.

Political culture has changed and parties are in the process of privatising themselves and are far from ideological or political programmes. Pakistani politics had been privatised much before the policy of privatisation; perhaps when for the first time elections were held on non-party basis in 1985. Now parties don't need workers but lobbyists to build the image of the leaders. So if trade unions are banned in Pakistan or right of association is not protected one should not be surprised.

The Essential Services Act is not very different from General Ziaul Haq's Martial Law Regulations (MLRs), under which trade unions were banned. His era led to the de-politicisation of politics, and successive civilian governments only followed his path without imposing martial law.

Under different MLRs, student and trade unions were banned, and in one way or the other, these MLRs still exist. Movement for Restoration of Democracy was perhaps the last political agitation and though its major impact was in Sindh, it did unnerved Zia, but he came out with an idea of politics on non-party basis. The move further divided the nation and depoliticised the society. This could be the first step towards privatising politics.

If one compares MRD movement with 2014 dharna of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which too was effective but it lasted for 126 days because it was confined to one place and nature of protest was well under control and according to the script.

Now in elections parties spent billions in their campaigns through advertisers and use private TV channels, as a result reliance on political workers have minimised to a large extent. The kind of ideological workers, trade unionist or student leaders we used to see in the past are no more. Now the protest demonstrations are more for the photographs or for TV rather than for the people.

Some parties and their leaders now have permanent advertisers and lobbyist, who have been hired on good salaries. They have also hired IT experts for effective use of social media and also people for training.

By the end of this year, the hiring process of good lobbying firms would start for 2018 elections as 2017 would be the year of campaign. Since our Election Commission of Pakistan is too weak to take action against over-spending, campaigns become too expansive.

The political culture has changed and so is culture of political movements. Instead of political nurseries like student and trade unions, its now DJ, Gulu Butt or business partners, who are required rather committed political workers and trade unionists.

Another aspect of privatisation of politics is the fast growing culture of family legacy even among leaders in the middle class. If top leaders and feudal are promoting their children and grooming them in politics, this trend has now been transmitted in the second and third tiers as well, the common factor or reason behind corruption, out-of-turn appointments, transfers and positings, big contracts.

Nowadays, some ministers, MNAs, senators, MPAs are in the real estate business, as they know that in today's politics, your business, status is more important than your political work in the party.

If one looks at the recent ending of PIA strike and enforcement of Essential Services Act in this backdrop, it was not surprising when the government apparently got an upper hand in the drop scene.

The future of trade union is quite uncertain in Pakistan. This is an era of privatisation and there is an unholy alliance of all vested interests against trade unions and student unions. Political parties are silent partners while it goes in favour of all the undemocratic forces.

Congratulations to the prime minister and some of his "comrade ministers", who once used to be a part of student and trade union movements and the product of that culture, but now take credit of crushing the PIA workers strike.

How far this privatisation policy would help Prime Minister Sharif's politics would be interesting to watch. But there is a lesson for all in this mini trade union movement. Tomorrow, if democracy is derailed, political parties are banned and leaders face the same fate as they did during Zia or Musharraf eras and look towards political workers, trade unions or student unions, they may not find them around. Advertisers, propagandist and lobbyist would not be of any use.

It’s a challenge for the political parties to decide whether they want to promote political culture or privatisation culture. As for the union leaders, it is important for them also to bring democracy in the trade union and change culture of defending all the wrongdoings and using union platform for personal gains.

  The writer is the senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.