Adil Najam
Addressing the Pakistan military parade today, Gen. Pervez Musharraf proclaimed that “you are seeing that a real democratic era has begun in Pakistan.” I say “Amen” to that. I remain confident as ever that Pakistan remains a democratic society trapped inside of an undemocratic state. I repeat and stand by what I had written a year ago today:
On this March 23rd, I am more confident than ever that not only can democracy work in Pakistan, it is the only thing that can. Whether our elites recognize it or not, the democratic spirit of the people can neither be tamed nor contained. Not any more.
If one were to go into details, my quibble would be that Pakistani society has always been democratic. It is the state that has been captured, again and again, by undemocratic forces – with or without elections. Elections, as so many have argued, are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for democracy. Elections, in themselves, do not give you democracy; but it is impossible to have democracy without them. Democracy, ultimately, is the simple proposition that people have a right to and the ability to impact the decisions that will impact them. All else is the mechanics of how a society chooses to make this happen. The best way to safeguard democracy is to make democracy work.
The new government – under Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, at least in the short term – have (yet another) historic opportunity to make get the mechanics right. After years and years of undemocratic interferences and spurts and starts, we need – more than anything – to demonstrate not only that democracy will work in Pakistan, but that it will work for all Pakistanis. Once people truly see democracy working for them, they will themselves stand in the way of anyone trying to circumvent the process. Here, if anywhere, it is indeed true – as the Kevin Costner character said in the move Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” Indeed, they will!
As those in politics are wont to, Gen. Musharraf also takes far too much credit for himself – indeed, he takes credit even for that which has happened despite him. For example, when he says “during the past eight years, not only we laid the foundation of a real democracy, but we also put Pakistan on the path of progress and prosperity.” But the least one can do is to give him the benefit to believe so, if so he wishes to believe. As long as he actually believes – and will make believable – his next claim: i.e., “whichever new government is formed, it will have my full support.”
The test of his mettle will be whether he can, will or really wants to give his “full support” to the next government. The test of the mettle of the next government will be whether they will want, need or accept his “full support.”
Yes, it does look like a spring of hope after a long winter of despair.
I wholeheartedly agree that Pakistan is a democratic society trapped within an undemocratic state. Inshallah, we are making a new beginning on this historic occasion of Pakistan day after some many false starts. In the end, democracy is about hope. Hope for the better, always.
When we say democratic society trapped in a undemocratic state, what do we mean? It means that while our people are democratic and want man made laws, our elite politicians, bureaucrats and army generals want Islamic laws to govern us and impact those areas that impact all of us. Hence we are caught up in the democratic dilemma. This has been the defining moment of our times. It is the raging urge in our people to see democracy flourish so man made laws by our own people can trump Islamic laws and we can move towards modern day democracies in the region. This battle for democracy has been the corner stone of our demand for Pakistan. It has defined us as a people and liberated us from majority rule because we know democracy is not brutal rule of majority, but majority of rules, man made rules that is.
This is indeed is the shining example of democracy. The elections of 2008 will go down in history as the turning point of global democracy. The people of Pakistan have proven once again that they can unleash democracy even within the confines of what is an undemocratic state. These undemocratic forces may well sabotage this experiment as Pakistan’s road to a more perfect union continues. I wish the present Govt strength and longevity.
Adil,
Good post but it is one of those rare occasions when I see myself disagreeing with you.
I stopped visiting this site after the Lal Masjid issue because I found myself as a part of a very minuscule minority with my views being so different than the rest. This new development in the history of Pakistan compelled me to visit the site to see what my fellow countrymen were saying.
Unfortunately I don’t share your enthusiasm about the future of Pakistan. The assembly that we have been given by the so called “enlightened” voters reads as who’s who of world’s most corrupt list
No one in Pakistan believes that all the cases against Bhutto were fabricated or that Sharif did not abuse his power to extend his businesses. Yet. we elect them again to finish the job that they were unable to in the past. All it says about our people is that corruption has been accepted as a part of the normal life in Pakistan and we have no problems giving the keys to the family vault to the servant who has proven himself to be a thief.
Our hopes of democracy flourishing in Pakistan under the same system is akin to hoping that we can make an edible cake with rotten eggs if we beat them enough.
The current political setup should and will have to lay the foundation of strong and real democratic norms. We must admire and adorn our civil society, lawyers’ movement and media which have been and will be playing the role of catalyst for the propagation of democracy.
March 23 is commemorated as a resolution for an independent homeland was passed but the process of this passing this resolution purely based on democratic principles and precedence. Hence the resolution was not only for independent Pakistan but for a DEMOCRATIC Pakistan.
“On this March 23rd, I am more confident than ever that not only can democracy work in Pakistan, it is the only thing that can. Whether our elites recognize it or not, the democratic spirit of the people can neither be tamed nor contained. Not any more.”
Yes, absolutely agree with you, Adil. Despite all of our problems with terrorism, the judiciary, economy, etc, I really believe that we have reached a critical mass….I am very hopeful, perhaps naively so, that the current parliament will seize the day and use this momentum for the betterment of Pakistan.