Our elected assemblies would complete five years in March this year; politicians are very happy that democracy has been given a chance and freehand for five years. If there is reason for celebration, there is also reason for self-introspection.
Assemblies are voted in by voters and majority of them are ordinary people. What has democracy given to them? The long grim list includes: Mothers lost sons, wives lost their husbands, children lost their parents, sisters lost their brothers, friends lost friends, army lost soldiers, police lost crime-fighters, workers lost jobs, institutions lost respect and man lost hope.
Democracy has also given unemployment, scarcity, poverty, disease, inflation, lawlessness, insecurity, mismanagement, bad governance, hatred, disharmony, despondence, corruption, loot and plunder. For a common man life has become miserable without gas, electricity and water. Green passport has lost respect at international airports. Above all, Pakistan has lost dignity in the fraternity of nations (and this list is incomplete yet). Despise all this, the people of Pakistan love democracy and want their rulers happy and prosperous.
