Why does democracy remain unstable in Pakistan?
October 16, 2014
ISLAMABAD: In a country where two prime ministers were assassinated, one was hanged and the fourth faced death penalty but survived, democracy may remain unstable unless allowed to take its roots.
Good, bad or ugly, democracy is a better system than dictatorship. The key question if it will be allowed to flourish, as we are remembering first prime minister Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan today (Oct 16).
In the last 67 years, only one civilian government could complete its five-year term and four dictators directly ruled for 34 years, the minimum was nine years. Thus, if today, we are again talking of mid-term polls or long term technocrats or national government, when the government has not even completed its two years and it’s not a very good sign for continuity of democratic order
From the first prime minister till this day, there is hardly any civilian government, which remained stable, for one reason or the other.The governments often were sacked for corruption or criminal charges, but, whenever civilian governments were sacked on these charges, the same were never proved in any court of law. On the contrary, the accusers often used the accused for their own personal interest. It does not mean that all these charges were merely accusations but many could have been proved and guilty be punished in case of fair accountability.
Even after six decades, we are still in the dark as who was behind the assassination and conspiracy against Liaquat Ali Khan. He was among the founding fathers of this nation. Yet, successive rulers, civilian or military, never made this first high profile murder as their “priority.”
Democracy in Pakistan was derailed in the first nine years since independence, starting with the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan. We could not recover till today, and thus failed in putting democracy on the right track.
When Pakistan was like a new-born baby, cracks appeared in the very foundation of this country after the murder, which ultimately resulted in the break-up, some 25 years later, in 1971. Rest is history.
Some of the politically ambitious former army chiefs like late Field Marshal Ayub Khan, late General Yahya, late General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf, beside, some former chiefs of premier intelligence agency, further damage the foundation of this country, which came into being as a result of sacrifices of millions.
Therefore, when we celebrate the completion of the first full term of PPP government, it reflected the uncertain political past and how democracy remained fragile.
Now, as democracy started taking roots with peaceful transfer of power from the one civilian government to the other, from one civilian president to another, shadow of doubts over the “fairness” of elections once against made the future of yet another civilian government, uncertain even before expiry of its “honeymoon period.”
Whether May 11, 2013 general elections were “fair or rigged,” yet to be determined and there is nothing wrong in demanding high level independent investigation, but the fact remained that all the political parties, their heads and civil society had expressed confidence in the people who conducted and supervised these polls, from former chief election commissioner Justice (R) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to ex-army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
However, from the day one, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government and PML-N leadership had suspected the role of former ISI chief Lt General Shuja Pasha and now the former president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi had also leveled serious allegations against his role.
Even, when PML-N was in opposition at the center during PPP rule, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Ch Nisar Ali Khan had officially complained about his alleged involvement in politics with former army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in more than one meeting.
The role of two former ISI chiefs, General Hameed Gul and Gen Asad Durrani, in 1988 and 1990 elections are now matter of record and it would not be surprising, if Pasha also played such a role, pinching one civilian politician against other. All those who are well aware of Pakistan’s political history, it’s not even a “news” for them.
However, it is a healthy sign that at least the last two army chiefs kept army away from politics i.e. former chief General Kayani and the sitting chief General Raheel Sharif. But, this approach should also be transferred at all levels and at the same time, it is important that civilian leadership should try to resolve political issues without seeking assistance from the army chief, as was done in the post August 14 uncertain situation.
Nawaz Sharif’s last two tenures could not last more than two and a half years, and is struggling in his third term as well. It is also true that the only government, which has completed its term was that of PPP led by former president Asif Ali Zardari but not before he made huge compromises. His critics even went on to say that he could not even unearth the “real conspiracy” in the murder of his spouse and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Today, some critics and leaders like Imran Khan, criticised, “Charter of Democracy,” signed by late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006. Imran and his PTI should be thankful to this charter, that today he is seeing himself in a position to become the prime minister. If they had not signed this “COD,” General (R) Pervez Musharraf would still be our ruler, Benazir and Sharifs were out of politics and PTI would be just like PML-Q and PPP (Patriot). Those, who are today, on the two “containers” would have either been with Musharraf or be trying to get into his government.
Today, PTI has emerged as the second largest party, Imran Khan as the most prominent politician in this country with millions looked towards him but he must need to understand that he can’t form a stable government if his party comes to power through mid-term poll for a short term.
This is the lesson all civilian politicians must learn if they really want a stable and strong democracy in this country.Pakistan still needs to know who has killed our first prime minister and more importantly why he was killed. Why one Bhutto was hanged another Bhutto was assassinated.
The younger generation in particular has a right to know about these facts if we really want to save democracy and our popular leaders.
Good, bad or ugly, democracy is a better system than dictatorship. The key question if it will be allowed to flourish, as we are remembering first prime minister Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan today (Oct 16).
In the last 67 years, only one civilian government could complete its five-year term and four dictators directly ruled for 34 years, the minimum was nine years. Thus, if today, we are again talking of mid-term polls or long term technocrats or national government, when the government has not even completed its two years and it’s not a very good sign for continuity of democratic order
From the first prime minister till this day, there is hardly any civilian government, which remained stable, for one reason or the other.The governments often were sacked for corruption or criminal charges, but, whenever civilian governments were sacked on these charges, the same were never proved in any court of law. On the contrary, the accusers often used the accused for their own personal interest. It does not mean that all these charges were merely accusations but many could have been proved and guilty be punished in case of fair accountability.
Even after six decades, we are still in the dark as who was behind the assassination and conspiracy against Liaquat Ali Khan. He was among the founding fathers of this nation. Yet, successive rulers, civilian or military, never made this first high profile murder as their “priority.”
Democracy in Pakistan was derailed in the first nine years since independence, starting with the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan. We could not recover till today, and thus failed in putting democracy on the right track.
When Pakistan was like a new-born baby, cracks appeared in the very foundation of this country after the murder, which ultimately resulted in the break-up, some 25 years later, in 1971. Rest is history.
Some of the politically ambitious former army chiefs like late Field Marshal Ayub Khan, late General Yahya, late General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf, beside, some former chiefs of premier intelligence agency, further damage the foundation of this country, which came into being as a result of sacrifices of millions.
Therefore, when we celebrate the completion of the first full term of PPP government, it reflected the uncertain political past and how democracy remained fragile.
Now, as democracy started taking roots with peaceful transfer of power from the one civilian government to the other, from one civilian president to another, shadow of doubts over the “fairness” of elections once against made the future of yet another civilian government, uncertain even before expiry of its “honeymoon period.”
Whether May 11, 2013 general elections were “fair or rigged,” yet to be determined and there is nothing wrong in demanding high level independent investigation, but the fact remained that all the political parties, their heads and civil society had expressed confidence in the people who conducted and supervised these polls, from former chief election commissioner Justice (R) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to ex-army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
However, from the day one, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government and PML-N leadership had suspected the role of former ISI chief Lt General Shuja Pasha and now the former president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi had also leveled serious allegations against his role.
Even, when PML-N was in opposition at the center during PPP rule, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Ch Nisar Ali Khan had officially complained about his alleged involvement in politics with former army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in more than one meeting.
The role of two former ISI chiefs, General Hameed Gul and Gen Asad Durrani, in 1988 and 1990 elections are now matter of record and it would not be surprising, if Pasha also played such a role, pinching one civilian politician against other. All those who are well aware of Pakistan’s political history, it’s not even a “news” for them.
However, it is a healthy sign that at least the last two army chiefs kept army away from politics i.e. former chief General Kayani and the sitting chief General Raheel Sharif. But, this approach should also be transferred at all levels and at the same time, it is important that civilian leadership should try to resolve political issues without seeking assistance from the army chief, as was done in the post August 14 uncertain situation.
Nawaz Sharif’s last two tenures could not last more than two and a half years, and is struggling in his third term as well. It is also true that the only government, which has completed its term was that of PPP led by former president Asif Ali Zardari but not before he made huge compromises. His critics even went on to say that he could not even unearth the “real conspiracy” in the murder of his spouse and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Today, some critics and leaders like Imran Khan, criticised, “Charter of Democracy,” signed by late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006. Imran and his PTI should be thankful to this charter, that today he is seeing himself in a position to become the prime minister. If they had not signed this “COD,” General (R) Pervez Musharraf would still be our ruler, Benazir and Sharifs were out of politics and PTI would be just like PML-Q and PPP (Patriot). Those, who are today, on the two “containers” would have either been with Musharraf or be trying to get into his government.
Today, PTI has emerged as the second largest party, Imran Khan as the most prominent politician in this country with millions looked towards him but he must need to understand that he can’t form a stable government if his party comes to power through mid-term poll for a short term.
This is the lesson all civilian politicians must learn if they really want a stable and strong democracy in this country.Pakistan still needs to know who has killed our first prime minister and more importantly why he was killed. Why one Bhutto was hanged another Bhutto was assassinated.
The younger generation in particular has a right to know about these facts if we really want to save democracy and our popular leaders.
