Democracy is the best revenge. These are the words of Benazir Bhutto that were nervously mouthed by her son Bilawal Bhutto when his Chairmanship of the Pakistan People’s Party was announced just three days after the PPP leader’s assassination. These words have also been quoted by president Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of the slain leader. The people of Pakistan wonder – is democracy is the best revenge?
Democracy was expected to facilitate the maintenance of law and order, promote economic progress, deliver good governance, increase exports, stabilise the internal and external currency and provide social and economic stability.
Unfortunately none of these goals are anywhere near being fulfilled. Everyone’s life is in trouble. These may just rumors in Pakistan, only premature facts.
I hope that the present government’s crisis of governance will not disenchant the people from democracy and they might be disillusioned to an extent that they will feel disenfranchised and may feel that they have no stake in the survival of the system. At the moment, democracy doesn’t feel like the best revenge for a large part of the population.
Muhammad Adeel
Karachi
