Pakistan's 'Incomplete' Democratic Experiment

With the military government in its seventh year of existence, Pakistan is passing through a critical phase of its political life. If past experience is any guide of things to come, this military experiment, like the ones in the past, is soon going to come to its end whether through the force of the people (as in Ayub's) or the will of the Almighty (as in Zia's). Once again, as as been in the past, the people of Pakistan would be provided an opportunity to break from the tradition and sow the seeds of a new democratic experiment. Yet, like with the experiments with military rule, the democratic experiments in Pakistan are often pre-programmed and destined to fail. The result is a political see-saw that fails to provide stability and good sustainable governance to the people of Pakistan and severely impedes their aspiration to fully develop and realize their nationhood.

Twice in the past, Pakistan has been ruled by military regimes for over a decade each, a pattern that has become so entrenched in the psyche of the nation that many have come to believe that military dictatorships are the destiny of this nation, that somehow Pakistan and democracy are incompatible, and that the people of Pakistan are in some way so inferior that they cannot be trusted to make decisions about their own lives.

Throughout the history of Pakistan, and especially during the times when military regimes have been in power, this notion seems to have gained popularity that either that Pakistanis were inferior or incapable of ruling themselves or that democracy was not good enough for us, Pakistanis. A group of very vocal anti-democrats (including the so called establishment, the military, the civil bureaucracy, and elements of the religious establishment etc.) have systematically distorted the image of democracy in the eyes of Pakistani public. To an ordinary citizen, therefore, Democracy is often associated with corrupt politicians, hung and see-sawing elections, and horse trading post elections. In effect, democracy is often seen as a choice between the devil and the deep sea-- between NS and BB--a choice that most would like to somehow avoid. Nothing, however, can be far from the truth.

While a detailed discussion on what we really mean by democracy is a separate topic in its own right--and a very important one--it is important here to distinguish the institution of democracy from the failure of its manifestations. At its roots, Democracy is a fairly simple idea. It is the notion that people can, and should, decide how and by whom they are to be governed.

As incorporated in the US Constitution, for example, it provides "we the people" with the sole and "natural" right to "ordain" and "establish" a government that serves at their pleasure. Looked at from the lens of the British political experience, democracy emerges as a series of ideas arising from a growing realization over several centuries that there is "no taxation without representation" or, in other words, people have a right to make decisions that affect their own lives and anyone to whom they grant this right must be answerable to the people themselves.

While the American expression of democracy was much more revolutionary, abrupt, and sudden, the British version evolved gradually over time as it co-existed with and encroched over the rights and prerogatives of monarchy. Despite these differences, however, the basic ideas remain the same around the world from America, to Britain, to India, to the Philippines, and to Malaysia.

Democracy is not merely about elections and the ballot--although these, along with freedom of expression and political affiliation, multi-party systems, separation of powers, accountability, and a free press etc. are manifestations of the democratic expression--but rather it is about the simple idea that people have a right to their own destinies and that nobody, and I repeat, nobody can be superior or arrogant enough to suggest the contrary. Yet this is precisely what happens in Pakistan. People are made to believe that they are not capable enough to decide their own fate, that their choice of individuals to represent themselves are somehow inherently faulty and hence must be "corrected" by the state apparatus. In short, that Pakistanis cannot be trusted with making knowledgeable and well-informed choices and hence only deserve a version of "managed" democracy to suit its particular needs.

Just the other day, I was at a social gathering of seemingly well-to-do and well-educated Pakistanis living in the United States who, by the way, themselves benefit from the fruits of American democracy every day of the year, and the sum-total of the popular opinion at this "august" gathering of individuals was that Pakistani people do not want democracy. While I begged to strongly disagree with that statement but as I thought more and more about it I realized there was some truth to what these individuals were saying. That Pakistani people do not seem to "want" democracy is probably true and partially explains why we continue to struggle under mililtary regimes for the last fifty years but that does not necessarily mean that Pakistan (or Pakistani people) do not "need" democracy. Herein lies the fine difference.

What has really happend is that with the passage of time, the intense indoctrination, along with unfortunate experiences with whatever they've seen of democracy, has worked its magic with the psyche of the Pakistani nation in that they have really come to believe that theirs is an inferior nation that cannot be trusted by ruling itself and that a more disciplined force, namely, the military or the civil bureaucracy is required to supervise their experiment of "managed" democracy.

In effect, the poor Pakistani people are getting whacked from all sides, namely, the same set of forces that engages in this indoctrination also conspires to the undermine their minimal democratic experiment, and ultimately benefits from the intermittent overthrow of whatever democratic apparatus that the society develops. For the cautious and astute eye, it is not very difficult to see through this facade and yet the vast majority of Pakistani people either fail to see through this or choose to ignore it.

What is the future of democracy in Pakistan? The answer rests with the collective consciousness and will of the Pakistani people. Without the people's authority any democratic experiment is a bound to fail. Any constitution of the world is merely a piece of paper without a compact between the government and the governed and the will of the latter to enforce it. Same will remain true of Pakistan's constitution and its democracy. My Pakistani American colleagues are probably right when they say Pakistani people (currently) don't want democracy. Their lack of commitment to their own constitution clearly proves that point. However, they're absolutely wrong when they assert that Pakistani people do not need one.

The day people of Pakistani wake up to this realization would be the day democracy and constitutionalism would be established in Pakistan. That day no military or civilian dicatator would find the will or strength to usurp on the power that is naturally theirs. That would also be the day when the make believe of the inferiority of the people of Pakistan would be shattered convincingly and forever and there would emerge a make-believe of a different kind. That of the ability of Pakistani people to be the masters of their own destiny and not the lame excuses that are put forth by the anti-democrats or even the so-called politicians.

As Edmund Morgan's (cited in Larry D. Krammer's "The People Themselves") puts it in "Inventing the People":

"Government requires make believe. Make believe that the King is divine, make believe that he can do no wrong or make believe that the voice of the people is the voice of God. Make believe that the people have a voice or make believe that the representatives of the people are the people. Make believe that governors are servants of the people. Make believe that all men are equal or make believe that they are not."

Pakistan's democratic experiment would see the light of the day when the people of Pakistan would want it to be. Nothing less and nothing more!