The difference between the political system and the army is an extremely stark one. Neutrality and merit does not exist at any level in our political system whereas the army solely promotes individuals, based on their skills and abilities, irrespective of their race class or ethnicity. A poor boy belonging to a slum can only aspire to become a sloganeer of a political party and nothing beyond that. The same boy however can hope to achieve a respectable position in the army and compete with other boys, solely on the basis of his abilities, skills and talents. This example is enough to show how vastly the two institutions of our country differ from each other.
When we take the example of PML(N) we can see that virtue, fairness and neutrality do not exist in the party. For instance, if Hamza Sharif was a blue collar worker he would not have any scope or chance of gaining a position in a political party. However, he would be eligible to get a position in the army.
The existing structure of political parties is plagued with greed, violence, biradri system and connections. Our political parties and government needs to amend and eliminate their existing structures and adopt a system of merit for smooth functioning.
The answer to this lies in the establishment of a system where everyone should have an equal chance of raising their voices and opinions. This means adoption of policies such as equal airtime on TV channels for everyone, and imposition of strict punishments for people using biradri, thana, and sectarianism in the political arena. In short, a system should be established which promotes equality at all levels.
MIQDAD SIBTAIN
Karachi
