A Vanishing Republic

The sanctity of governing a country is based on the representation elected by the people. For decades, elections in Pakistan have been the most controversial issue. Political parties are incompetent and rely on the establishment to manage elections to serve their vested interests. The elections held in February 2024 were a hoax, which robbed the people of their votes and deprived them of their constitutional right to form the government despite winning a majority. Thus, twenty-five crore Pakistanis have deeply drowned in the aura of disbelief in their institutions.

The constitution is the prime document of the state, defining and establishing the principles to run the country, including the government, which is subject to the law. The constitution outlines the power structure and duties of government as well as the rights of citizens.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, once said, “Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.” This is what the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, also emphasized in his speech to the Constituent Assembly on August 11th, 1947, for the future Constitution, which starts with the fundamental principle that we are all equal citizens of one state. Sadly, Pakistan’s constitution, since its formation, has been through the agony of multiple amendments to comply with the desire of the corrupt ruling elite and non-elected forces. As the famous scholar John Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The power game has always been the most destructive and devastating factor ruining and eliminating democratic exercises. With the amendments to the Constitution, illegitimate actions took place, dismissing the coequalities of common citizens’ rights, granting the power to the ruling elite. From the executive structure to the judicial system, all have been the victims of the lust for power. After the 26th Amendment, significant changes in the structure and functioning of the judiciary have been imposed to cater to political influence. The media have also been relegated to an executive-run business. From formidable political threats to massive money laundering, all have been covered by such amendments and ordinances.

Pakistan has gone through four marital laws in the last 77 years. The authoritarian rule was given the constitutional shelter to legitimize its power to rule, from Ayub Khan in 1958, Yahya Khan in 1969, Zia-ul-Haque in 1977, to Pervez Musharraf in 199. This practice has been a massive setback for Pakistan. All institutions of a sovereign state have been damaged and exceeded their legal boundaries. The Constitution of Pakistan clarifies that the armed forces are bound to be the protectors of the borders of the state or otherwise summoned by the government in any specific situation for internal protection. Granting the ruling power to the non-elected forces reaffirms the incompetence and incompatibility of the politicians and civilian governments. Political grooming was abolished by design, eliminating the student unions, which used to be the nursery for training a new breed of political leaders, thus helping those to jump into the political arena with heaps of ill-gotten money to thrive through loot, corruption, and cartelization. Pakistan lacks political thinking and maturity, and has become nothing more than a business venture for political opportunists.

Allowing non-political entities to run the government will be a suicidal attempt.

The security forces are Pakistan’s pride as the country’s most efficient and strong institution. Once again, they proved themselves a dominant force in the recent four-day war between Pakistan and India. However, involving them in government matters puts a question mark on the future of democratic institutions.

The state affairs are run with the consultation and collaboration of all the country’s institutions. But the supremacy of a government elected by the people must be maintained. Otherwise, it will cause frustration and disbelief in the democratic system. Lately, Pakistan has been through turmoil and a slew of human rights violations, which the international media have notably reported. The current Pakistani government, very reluctantly, does accept that such workings are beyond its control. The present Defense Minister bluntly acknowledged that a hybrid system in Pakistan has been ruling the roost. This statement is enough to demoralize the country’s people and ensure that democracy has no future in this environment. Even the recent meeting at the Oval Office between the Pakistani Field Marshal and the American President puts the Pakistani civil government at its lowest level ranks.

Allowing non-political entities to run the government will be a suicidal attempt for the country’s future and cause severe disengagement between citizens and the state. Pakistan has already suffered a breakup in 1971, and there is a continuity of terrible and horrifying episodes of terrorism in two provinces. Pakistan was formed as a democratic state through a political struggle, and the country must always function as a democratic state. Lately, there has been an awakening that the times are changing. The civilian government is rapidly losing all its credibility by operating under a hybrid system and depriving the public of its fundamental human rights. Pakistan needs to reestablish its democratic credentials in the world.