The wrong way to do democracy

Politics in Pakistan is rarely static. Depending on whom you talk to, on some days, democracy is in grave danger. On other days, there is no such danger and the country is on a march to progress.

The former paranoia is usually based on rumours, and, surprisingly, parroted by those who are a part of the government and claim to be champions of a democratic system. They fear what they do not understand. And what they do not understand is the concept of democracy.

Democracy isn’t just about contesting elections, winning votes and forming governments. And a democratic system does not slip into peril every time there is talk of accountability. In fact, transparency is a key element of good governance. To consolidate democratic principles in a state, corruption must be reduced, for which all men and women, no matter how powerful, must be ready to answer questions, no matter how difficult.

Here is one, being repeatedly asked by opposition parties and media’s talking heads: Should a minister of finance stay in office while he is being investigated for corruption? Would democracy collapse or fail if he resigned?

In a press conference, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, the Director General of the ISPR, stated very clearly, and rightfully, that the only danger to democracy is from not fulfilling its prerequisites. Because the Major General is a uniformed officer, he could not elucidate on the fundamentals and demands of democracy.

So let me take a stab at it. Every single penny collected from taxation must be used for the people’s benefit, not for lavishing on the chief minister or prime minister’s house. It is an elected government’s responsibility to ensure that its citizens have food security and other basic rights. It is not democratic for thousands of rupees to be spent on the security of a few while the rest get looted in their homes and on the streets. It isn’t democracy where a select few drink mineral water and the rest are forced to use dirty water taps.

The highest court in the country disqualifies a sitting prime minister on charges of corruption, and soon after 2,000 security personnel are assigned for his safety. Every time his daughter, who holds no position in the government or in the party, appears in a courtroom, she is assigned a security protocol on state expenses.

Before his disqualification, Nawaz Sharif rarely spoke about the accountability of judges and military officers. But after his dismissal, that is all his party talks about, day in and day out. His younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, rightly stated that the judiciary and the army have their own accountability process.

One lesson that democracy imparts is to stay away from actions that could create chaos and unrest. Reports received through the grapevine suggest that Sharif has decided to return to the country and even go to jail, if it comes to that. Rumors also say that he will adopt a harsher policy now, and that will be the policy of his party as well. Those who disagree are free to leave. Adopting such a confrontational policy will neither be democratic nor good for the country.

Note: The views expressed, are those of the author, and do not reflect the official policy or position of Geo News or the Jang Group.