Democracy in chains

This refers to the letter ‘Call it democracy’ (December 12) by Raja Shafaatullah. The writer has rightly pointed out how the elite have hijacked democratic values and used them to serve their own ends. Our political system is essentially an oligarchy of the rich, for the rich and by the rich.

As a consequence, law and order, access to justice, meritocracy, and equal opportunities are little more than distant dreams in our polity. All standards of justice don’t apply indiscriminately to the elite. Money and wealth are the buzzwords that enable people to wield power and influence. It seems that the spirit of democracy has been compromised.

Arif Majeed

Karachi