Democracy in Pakistan: The Missing Link?

Shakar #411

You said at least Mushy (Secularized) is trying to build the institutions.

Probably he is trying to save the institutions which are rotten to core.

Ayub brought his Martial law when politicians after fighting with each other at last agreed on a constitution. That constitution never saw the light of the day.

Bhutto was dethroned, when allegedly Bhutto and opposition reached an agreement.

As far as BB and NS. When did they had power. They could not appoint president, Foreign minister of their choice. They were kept away from Nuclear Secret and probably Kargil War. They were supposed to be there as a show piece, particularly NS.

You are correct in only one point. Army and Beareaucracy has never let any institution or political process take root intentionally and so we are left with only these strong institutions. As far as credibility. Majority of Pakistan population in 1971 showed how credible they were. And given the real voice majority of Pakistan population will once again show their credibility.:).

In response to Ferozk (Reply # 428) Part II
Dear Feroz:

Your statement: “Bilal, I wish I could share your optimism about Musharraf being the last hope of Pakistan, but I think that view is misleading.”

My reply: I never said that Musharraf is the “last” hope of Pakistan. I agree that this view is misleading. Please see my last post (Reply # 429) for additional clarification.

Feroz, thanks for you help concerning my last reply.

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

P.S. Merry Christmas, Happy Eid, and Happy New Year to all Chowkwallas.

In response to Ferozk (Reply # 428) Part I
Dear Feroz:

In my last post, I wrote: “Yes, Musharraf is our hope.” I then qualified my statement by saying that “we have no realistic alternative at the moment in view of the nature of our state and society.” What I wrote gives an impression that I have changed my position toward Musharraf and his regime. I think, what I wrote was not properly worded. I was also carried away in focusing too much on the current appearances (thus neglecting the past historical experience). I want to retract the same. Let me rephrase my views.

Feroz, I should have written: If Musharraf and his military junta is really true to the greater interest of Pakistan (not merely to the logic of military institution in Pakistan), then we could place some trust on his efforts to implement his seven-point agenda of October 17, 1999. The history of military intervention in Pakistan, however, suggests that such a trust must only be placed with caution. The people of Pakistan however need to realize that the institutionalization of the role of military in the National Security Council will reinforce the logic of military establishment, which in turn may result in the weakening of the Federation of Pakistan.

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Re: Bahmad # 424

Bilal, I wish I could share your optimism about Musharraf being the last hope of Pakistan, but I think that view is misleading. Musharraf is a not demi-god and so, please do not pin all your political hopes and dreams of a political revivial on his star studded shoulders. I agree with you that the military has been more of a problem than a solution in Pakistani politics and I second your opinion that unless we, as a nation, develop a sense of a civic responsibility and culture we will never progress beyond the slogans of cheap politics.

I have been following your posts and I was bit dismayed that you never alluded to the other most powerful and coherently organized political insititution in Pakistani polity: the bureaucracy. Apart from the military, the bureaucracy has a very structured opinion and a clearly defined interests in how Pakistan should be ruled. At this state, there is no common ground between the military and the bureaucracy since the military, due to its inept policies of accountibility, is probing the bureaucracy for charges of corruption and the bureaucracy will always defend its own; just like the military will always protect its people from a general accountibility net.

Musharraf, if he wants to bring meangingful change, has to coopt the bureaucracy and not confront it, because in the final analysis the bureaucracy will win over the military! He should compromise with the bureaucracy and give it a escape cluse from the general accountibility. The military cannot run Pakistan on a daily basis and the bureaucracy knows that despite all the claims of the military, this fact is the Achille`s Heel of the Pakistani military and it is exploiting it to the hilt!

There is a wide spread mispreception amongst the educated, westernized and secular segment of the Pakistanis that Musharraf is the last hope of Pakistan! He is not! It is this flawed view, of basing national hopes on a man on a horse back, which the educated classes of Pakistan cherish, which has been the bane of our political existence. The last hope of Pakistan is its trodden, brutalized, and disillushioned people.

Unfortunately, there is an increasingly a creeping sense of apathy in the Pakistani public`s mind when it comes to their would be rulers and benefactors of false promises and in the aftermath of the Nawaz Sharif`s skipping away to Saudi Arabia and the military`s failure to justify its decision to the public, after 14 months of preaching accountibility, the public is disgusted by the politics of Pakistan.

The last hope of Pakistan is to turn this growing sense of apathy into a sense of hope that the future politics of Pakistan will different from its yester years. It is this sense of apathy, which is unnerving because if the Taliban and their like minded friends ever come to Pakistan, it will not be because they marched to Islamabad and grasped the reins of power, but because the people of Pakistan will be so indifferent and apathic that they will see no difference between sufferings under the Taliban and the cabal of discredited politicans and the military leaders who have ruled Pakistan in the past!

Political apathy and political disillushionment is our greatest fear and our last hope is to curtail this growing political slide into a political Dante`s hell.

Ciao!

PM #422 And a Merry Christmas to you too. Hope to see more of your posts next year, telling it like it is.

Fairdinkum,

#420

{{Please…. Subah Subah mood kharab kar diya yar! }}

Sorry yar; I was just playing devil`s advocate:)

BTW, the military being the ``most trusted institution`` in Pakistan was quoted from ABC News on the Oct 12th coup.

It had nothing to do with what my friend Umairr said.

Bilalji,

#419

I think you answered Mr Atashband`s question quite well. There are several types of depressions. The 2 principal types are

A)Reactive Depression: A response to severe environmental stressors. Probably what Pakistanis are encountering these days.

B)Clincal, or ``Major`` Depression: which is a common medical condition where scientists have discovered specific chemical imbalances in the brain. 1 out of 10 people in the world will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. The etiology of major depression is not well understood. It seems a combination of genetic & environmental factors are involved. This type of depression responds well to antidepressant medications.

Suicide can be a risk in both types of depression.

You will be interested to know that according to the WHO, one of the highest rates of suicide in the world are in Scandinavian countries--notably Sweden--one of the most egalitarian democracy in the world!!!

fairdinkum,

Thanks for the wishes.

Yaar, I have no doubt that the perpetrators of the latest violence in Indonesia are the fringe lunatics. My post addressed to Urstruly was simply intended to point out what I felt was the inaneness of his pontificating to our neighbours next door.

regards,

PM

In response to shankar (Reply # 411)
Dear Shankar:

Your statement: “. . . you seem to suggest that continued military government will lead to the disintegration of Pakistan. I agree that, as a general rule, a democratically elected civilian govt is far more preferable to a military dictatorship.”

My reply: I am not oblivious to the notion that benevolent dictators often bring good results in relatively poor societies (as long as they remain benevolent). But, benevolence without basic civil and political liberties and rights is only partially acceptable condition in most conscious societies.

In Pakistan, the military has developed a “strong” logic of its own. This poses a threat to the health and well-being of our society (please read Behram Atashbund’s post). I am not against the military as a “true” institution of defense. But, a militaristic approach has historically served only a limited number of vested individuals and groups at the cost of an extremely large number of poor, deprived, oppressed common people.

Shankar, the equation is very simple. You don’t need to be a genius to balance it. Civilian governments have long been working within the constraints set (inter alia) by the proportion of national budget used for the so-called defense. Pakistan has never been a democracy and perhaps will never be for the years to come. Electoral politics is and should not be equated with democracy. Democracy will establish when the people will become conscious of their fundamental citizenship and human rights and will somehow make the ruling elite to bend their ways.

Shankar, your devil’s advocate thesis/scenario is actually a part of the dominant Pakistani discourse. The role of politicians, good or bad, needs to be seen within the bigger picture, though many parts of which are not empirically observable and/or verifiable. Pakistani politics is neither simple not spatially uniform. It is divided between those who support the establishment and those who resist it. Indifference or acquiescence is often taken as support (more accurately, tacit consent – but only tacit not consent). Nonetheless, each of the two groups view themselves to be right, though the reality lies somewhere in the middle depending upon each person’s location, imagination, and perception of the available/unavailable opportunities.

Yes, Musharraf is our hope (we have no realistic alternative at the moment in view of the nature of our state and society). Musharraf has a chance to rectify the past mistakes, build a good image of the military, and go back to the barracks as soon as possible. As far as our role on the cyberspace is concerned, we have just started to convey our views, opinions, and feelings to those who actually govern and those who should actually govern. Umairr is a valuable member of our cyber community. He is entitled to his opinions, and I am entitled to mine. The best thing we could do is to keep informing each other.

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

PM,

Yar dil khush hoo gaya :) Thanks for your warm wishes.

It is my understanding that those who are engaged in promoting hatred/violence/Killings in the name of religion in Indonesia have strong connections in South Asia and the Middle East.

You know, it does not surprise me that they have attacked churches... they have attacked and killed Muslims, belonging to sects other than theirs, while they were prying in mosques in Pakistan.

Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to you!
And also Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim Chowkies!

Special greeetings (these ones fromthe heart:)) to my buddy fairdinkum, Prof. Ahmad, Assad_K, Almirah and others with whom I`ve had the pleasure of `personally` interacting with.

warm wishes,

Patrick

Urstruly:

Am eagerly awaiting your version of New Years` Resolution of Indonesian Muslims...

btw, if you think jay and solitude are the same character, your judgement of writitng style leaves a lot to be desired.

Shankar #411

“The only institution that has a modicum of credibility to the people is the military. It is the one institution that has & will continue to prevent the country from disintegrating further.”

Please…. Subah Subah mood kharab kar diya yar! If I am an Indian agent, Indian blood etc. then Umairr is most definitely a paid Army spokesperson on this site :) So don’t worry too much about his praises for the military regime. Army rule is followed by either dismemberment of the country or leads to situations such as you see in Karachi/parts of Sindh (violent ethno-politics of the lowest form and quality… MQM, Jiya Sindh etc. coupled with astronomical crime rate, massive shrinking in economic activity, high unemployment, high inflation etc. etc.)… results in the mushrooming of Jihadis and maddarssahs adding fuel to the fire of crime and hatred. Pak. Army most probably trained the people who attacked Delhi fort, or the ones who routinely go around killing civilians in Kashmir. Nothing positive has ever come out of military rules in Pakistan. The only “credibility” Army enjoys emanates from the barrel of their guns.

Down with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and all other Terrorist organizations operating in our beloved subcontinent.

The policies of Pakistan Army to use these animals (belonging to Jihadi organizations) to promote policies of conflict and hatred in our region – the only way to provide a justification for the existence/reproduction of Pakistan Army and their evil designs should be condemned in the strongest possible terms…. Don’t ever praise Pakistan Army… they have done nothing for Pakistan ever. They have lost all the wars they ever fought… they have ruled Pakistan with iron hand for more than half the existence of this unfortunate country. They have failed to protect our borders. Credibility of Pakistan Army my foot!

In response to Behram B. Atashband (Replies # 393 and 412)
Dear Behram:

Welcome back! The issue of survival through food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care is an unalienable right of human beings. Yet, a lot of human beings are currently finding it virtually impossible to survive with a minimum level of decency. When these conditions prolong over a unreasonably long time period (as perceived by various individuals) they tend to make individuals what you call “clinically depressed.” I reckon, the existence of a few clinically depressed people makes other people depressed (and the chain reaction continues)

As far as the clinical aspect of the problem is concerned, Shankar is perhaps the best qualified person on the Chowk. I think, he would like to write about it (maybe on this board, maybe in the form an article). The whole issue of poverty, deprivation, and powerlessness deserves more than one article.

However, I will provide some information about the difficulties of human existence in Pakistan for ``our`` critical consideration. Let us hope that we don`t fail to maintain the links between these difficulties and the need of a democratic polity in Pakistan. I am sure that you will continue to interact. Please e-mail me at bahmad@home.com (I have somehow lost your e-mail address).

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

In desperation
The Nation, December 3, 2000

IN a horrific incident of attempted self-immolation enacted in the court room of the Lahore High Court on Friday, a woman was driven to desperation by a five year litigation against an SHO and his two colleagues of Samanabad Police Station who had persecuted her and her husband and deprived the two of their home and possessions. While the attempt was foiled by the timely intervention of by-standers, the desperado has thrown up an issue that has remained unattended for too long. According to details, back in 1995 the woman in question and her husband had been involved in a property dispute where the local Samanabad police`s role was highly questionable. After being arrested, the couple left the keys of their house with the local police station, but on their release found that their entire possessions were missing and the members of the local police station had been using the premises. On a complaint lodged by the couple, at least five consecutive enquiries were held into the allegations against three members of the Samanabad police station. Each came up with a finding that the three accused were guilty of the charges made by the couple. In what seems a case of closing ranks, the police department then held a sixth enquiry, this time headed by an ASP which miraculously absolved the three police men of the allegations made. What happened to the missing enquiry reports compiled by higher ranking police officials remains unclear. What is clear however is that the police department`s role throughout the prolonged legal process remained suspect, even to the point that in October a court witness who was an SP tried to impersonate an SSP and was caught in the act. This whole sordid incident has highlighted among other things the contempt in which the law enforcing authorities hold ordinary citizens and also the rule of law. It brings up some of the many unethical and downright illegal tendencies within the police force. It also demonstrates the high level of public frustration against the police and the inability of the judiciary to provide the timely relief which can give vent to the frustration.The verdict on the case has yet to take into consideration whether the ASP`s report holds any credibility when there are five earlier contradictory findings. A police officer who lies in order to cover the crime of his colleagues opens himself to at least two charges, that is contempt of court and complicity in the crime itself. In this case both charges can be levelled against the police. We hope that the grievances of the desperate couple will at least be redressed although we wish that the matter had not come to a stand where self-immolation was considered the only way to make a point. And naturally it is an expectation that the police reforms that the Interior Minister has spoken of earlier, will be put in place after this regrettable incident.

In response to Lahori01
Dear Lahori:

Your statement: ``When I look at this board, I feel proud. Pakistan`s future is in safe hands. It is safe in the hands of people like ylh, Sarwari, Fuzair, Urstruly, Ahmadb and Farangi Kush.``

My reply: Why don`t you joint this group? Aren`t you a Pakistani? Or, are you trying to say something else?

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

In response to sac (Reply # 414)
Dear Sac:

Your statement: “. . . the current debate in the so-called democratic societies is to find a socially acceptable way of doing away with the grand democratic experiment.”

My reply: Please provide additional information about this debate. A few published sources would help.

Your statement: “The debate [in Pakistan] would make sense if democracy were to be considered an evolutionary step in the maturation of a society rather than an endgame in itself.”

My reply: I concur. We have not yet started the process. It is still a struggle for electoral politics (for the rich and powerful).

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

RE: B.B. Atashband

It is the first time in history of the areas that are now included in Pakistan that more and more people are going to bed hungry. The artificially created famines of first and second world wars by British have long been forgotten. A hungary man strikes back with the spite and wrath of God. We must keep that in mind. Just wait when he stops killing himself and focus his attention on those with full stomachs and pot bellies.