Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan

“Political language is designed to make lies sound true and murder respectable, as it teaches us that a good politician, under democracy, is as unthinkable as an honest burglar”.( George Orwell )

Before I discuss and analyze the type of politics being practiced in Pakistan under the guise of democracy, let me give very succinctly the background of democracy.

  The word “democracy” as well as the concept it represents, can be traced back to the Greeks of sixth century BC. The Greek system of government was perhaps closer to a true democracy than any other in history. The Greeks viewed dictatorship as the worst possible form of government, so the government they evolved was the exact opposite to dictatorship.

A very relevant question pertaining to democracy as to how many people hold power in society, and how they exercise it has been an eternal theme of political debate. At one extreme, a single person rules. Such a system is usually called monarchy (rule by one man). It is generally named as dictatorship when power is seized by one individual. The other extreme is democracy (rule by the people) in which theoretically every adult can influence collective decisions. Between these two extremes is oligarchy (rule of a few).

For democracy to succeed, there are certain preconditions which must exist before this system is practiced. Firstly, the community must be educated enough to discern between good and bad, genuine and spurious leaders before they exercise their right of vote. Secondly, the community must be disciplined enough to be managed, and be capable enough of attending debates and voting on issues of national importance. Thirdly, the economy of the country must give the citizens enough leisure to engage in politics. Fourthly, presence of honest, dedicated and sincere leaders untarnished by allegations of corruptions and moral turpitude. In the context of Pakistan, all these preconditions are absent. So the fate of democracy in our country is quite understandable.

Democracy in Pakistan has met its waterloo due to multiple reasons such as incompetent and corrupt elements ruling the roost, insufficient assertiveness by the legislators, alienation and disengagement of educated middle class from politics, feudalism, lack of active citizenry exercising accountability and lack of commitment and sincerity on the part of political leaders practicing politics as a profitable business.

It is a very sad reflection on the reputation of our politicians that Ethics and Politics are perceived as an oxymoron, a figure of speech, which links two contradictory concepts. Like chalk and cheese, ethics and politics don’t seem to go together. Politicians are generally considered to be least trustworthy professionals. Unfortunately, this is a widely held view expressed in numerous aphorisms.

But nothing demonstrates more vividly the absence of ethical values in the conduct of political affairs and loss of trust in political leaders than the myriad events that have led to tarnish the image of public representative in the eyes of the masses.
If policies were guided by ethical considerations then we would have seen altogether different political culture developing in the land of the pure (Pakistan). But unfortunately diametrically opposite is the case.

The dramatic events during the last five decades, mainly resulting from advances in science and technology, have made it necessary to adopt policies that are radically different from those advocated and adopted by our leaders (both political and military). We have to learn to live together; otherwise we shall all die together as a nation. We must endeavor to create conditions that will enable us to survive as a proud nation with our heads high and this can only be possible if we are led by leaders who are trustworthy and possess unblemished character.

It is shocking to find politics practiced by our leaders repugnant and repulsive because of blatant duplicity. Our leaders proclaim themselves as the champions of democracy while actually acting in a dictatorial manner. They, as leaders, are supposed to uphold the rule of law, yet they turn out to be the biggest violators of law. To me, such practices are unacceptable in a civilized society because in the long run, they would play havoc with the very foundations of the country. Our rulers are seen busy in convincing the gullible public that our survival lies in democracy but act in a manner that contradicts their basic assertion.

The integrity in politics has gone down the road. Public is disgusted with the misdemeanor of our political leaders. How can we claim to be a proud Pakistani when majority of our leaders have no integrity? How can we claim to be a proud nation when our leaders with begging bowls in their hands make a foreign trip at government’s expense and live in five star hotels behaving like a prince? Our country was built on integrity and ethics. We preach it to our kids. We chastise other people when they display unethical behavior because it affects our kids. But when it comes to our own action, we simply dissimulate and indulge in undesirable activities with least compunction and remorse.   

The other day I saw a public representative belonging to a mainstream political party appearing on a TV talk show and comparing his salary, perks and privileges with that of a federal secretary without realizing that  it is much below the dignity of a public representative to draw an unwarranted comparison with a  government servant. If this is the approach of our leadership then how can we expect democracy to deliver?

Democracy, the most popular concept of governance in the world has been extensively abused in our country by our politicians. The word, on the face of it is so fascinating to populace that they get mesmerized when our leaders, in a bid to cover up their weaknesses, use it as a powerful weapon to befool them.

Our beloved mother land is passing through the worst kind of crises in its chequered history these days. Ethical standards of our leaders are operating at a diminishing rate. Corruption, deceitfulness, falsity and other social evils are rampant in our society. Financially, the country has almost collapsed and is touching the borders of bankruptcy. But the elite, as usual, is trumpeting the slogan of sap achha (all ok). Our doctors (financial wizards) are unsuccessfully trying to keep the economy alive through artificial oxygen (IMF, WB, ADB, etc).
The galloping inflation has made it extremely hard for an average man to keep body and soul together. Poor people finding no other way resort to commit suicide and register their protest through self-immolation. The unemployed youth give vent to their anger by carrying out terrorist activities. The chasm between the rich and the poor is widening at an alarming proportion. But the apathy of our leadership has hardened them to an extent that they fail to fathom the pain felt by the poor.    

Situational politics has supplanted the principled one. The spurious democracy being practiced by our unseasoned politicians has been instrumental in producing the turncoats who, being bereft of moral scruples are ever ready to change loyalties giving birth to lotacracy thereby turning politics into a profitable business. Our politicians do one thing and say another. They have grown ice cold and their numbness to the pain of the poor and the downtrodden is so ominous that it has started ringing the alarm bell of revolution. Our mainstream politicians, in a bid to save democracy have put the very existence of the country into a danger.
 The recent Tunisian and Egyptian revolution heralding a change in Libya, Yemen and Jordan should serve as an eye opener for our rulers. The situation seems to be ripe for a revolution and Raymond Davis episode and the like may be the catalyst for a possible change.
A massive uprising against the present leadership (ruling and opposition both) is knocking at the door. If that happens, it will wash away everything that comes in its way. Our leadership must understand that revolution is writing on the wall and from the ashes of that revolution will emerge a true and genuine leadership. The defence mechanism which our rulers apply to console themselves and to appease the furious public may backfire.

It is time our leaders stand up and display moral scruples and integrity. It is time to vote these old political dilettantes out and bring in new blood. Pakistan zinda baad  -- Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan, COMSATS University, Abbottabad Campus, 25 Feb 2011..