CIVIL DICTATORSHIP IN POLITICAL PARTIES

By T.H.Shah

“The political parties created democracy and modern democracy is unthinkable save in terms of the political parties”   (Schattschneider)

Dictatorship came under plumb criticism with the emergence of democracy as it lays emphasis upon social justice, rule of law and supremacy of human rights without any discrimination. Even in countries with modicum of political consciousness in peoples, dictatorship is regarded as abhorrence. The dawn of democracy has also waned the monarchical rules in the world; and where incumbent has reduced it to the figurehead only with ceremonial powers; whereas in England emotional attachment and conventional nature of the people has lent justification for the existence of monarchy. It is parliament, indeed, stands to be all in all. When roots of democracy become strong, then it gives rise to stability of political and social institutions, efficient dispensation of justice; the values ultimately make welfare state as is the case with most of the developed countries of the world.

Democracy inter per se is nothing without political force which stems from the masses. When rein of power remains in the hands of the masses, vigilant and conscious in political sense, democratic norms and values are always in constant bloom. On the contrary, when the masses are stricken with poverty, deprivation, unemployment and shorn of even the basic necessaries of life, then democracy makes the state El Dorado for vested interests. Same is the case with Pakistan where demagogues trumpet establishment of democracy, but still dictatorship exists in a different guise. Though at present, coups d'état seems dormant, but the squalor of civil dictatorship has enslaved the political system in Pakistan.

The mouthpiece of political forces in democracy is political parties who on winning elections become responsible to administer the whole governmental enterprise. History of democracy is in a sense the history of political struggle by political parties whether in western countries or Islamic countries like to be put moderately. Strong and robust political parties able to ensure representation of citizen and formulation of welfare-oriented policies in a state are inevitable to democracy. The actors in policy formulation and political sages recognise the centrality of political parties to the democracy because the political institutions are able to measure up to the public expectations only if they are well-entrenched in a democratic environment. When political parties become aloof from the citizens and elected leaders restricts themselves in their political cocoons, then happen decline of democratic values resulting extremist and hawkish elements in the society. Political parties in Pakistan have never been in harmony with the democratic model and their failure has given birth to the issues like non-representation of common masses in political system, decline of liberal democratic values, and everywhere the image of the society is misrepresented in political and social sense along with stagnancy in economic development. The political parties in developed European countries resemble with true democratic model. These may have relatives or kith and kin, but their mode of working is set towards the pursuit of democratic values in the society; these values imply economic justice, protection of environment, alleviation of poverty, judicial justice, gender equality, and in total the provision of equal opportunities of development to all the peoples within the state.

The picture is reverse in Pakistan where the whole structure of political parties is designed within the parameters of family members like Pakistan People Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Motehida Qumi Movement (MQM) known to be the most prominent for being in power. Same situation prevails in the rest of political factions or groups characterised with the membership of their own bloods. This evil in political parties has stayed since very inception of the establishment of Pakistan. Feudal nawabs, choudhries, khans, Bhuttos, Wattos, legharis, mazaris, doltanas, tawanas and many other have been overcastted the political system sustaining the status quo in the form of civil dictatorship sidelining the common peoples who still have no say in politics except manipulation of their vote due to ignorance. The plight of the poor in the constituencies the political demagogues belong to is miserable as these political manipulators have willingly barred the avenues for their people that may lead to development and prosperity. The worst injustice, to me, is being done to education system especially in rural areas where schools and education exist in name only while the progenies of these civil dictators are studying in European countries. Education is one of the most important prerequisites of democracy and it has not been given due attention because these civil dictators know well that education will make the peoples free mentally and financially as well and that it will result the breakdown of political slavedom.

Strange phenomenon is the continuous trumpeting of establishing democracy in the country while the political parties by themselves are barren of democratic spirit. No one has even seen internal elections within the political parties, no code of political ethics can be found but same faces same slogans aiming at corruption, nepotism and favouritism. At time when economy is on the downhill, water resources are diminishing leading to energy crisis, debt trap, is widening and country is besieged with the war against terrorism, civil dictators of political parties are engaged in musical chairs being quite oblivious to the gruesome crisis the whole nation is enmeshed. Apart from other social and political ills, the worst is NRO suffice to unveil the so-called supporters of democracy. As basic necessaries of life are disappearing, the people have started missing the halcyon days of the military regimes which in a way ensured the availability of foodstuffs in the market.

The civil dictators of political parties are adept in contriving political structure suiting their own interests regardless of the wears and tears of such individualistic policies upon the peoples’ destiny. Their political regimens is survivable with the ignorance of the masses; when the masses becomes educated, politically aware, no NRO, or Mesak-e-Jamhooriat, eight amendment will be able to withstand against the political accountability of the peoples as mostly happens in Europe and United States.

(Writer is PFP Director research:tajammulhs@gmail.com)