Regardless of their political rhetoric about learning lesson from history and their vows to strictly follow norms of democracy, the parliamentarians still seem to be groping in the mist to find out real meaning of democracy. They appear to be under mythical concept of representative system. Probably for them democracy is to conduct election after every five years and winners form the government while losers lament the loss, those who win and form the government remain obsessed with their popularity graph and ability to know everything to the exclusion of all others.
They consider themselves as personification of goodness and immune from human weaknesses. They form a cabinet consisting of loyalists without any qualification or merit who dare not utter word other than what their leader the chief executive wants. And if any member erroneously discloses any fact he is either sidelined or relieved of his duties. Similarly the opposition embraced the habit of criticising each action of government – good or bad without any regard or sentiments or needs of common man. They accuse ruling party for all ills prevailing in the society. Both ruling and opposition parties complete their turn in this ugly ear of taunts, stinking and disparaging remarks against each other.
The real issues and problems concerning common people remain missing from their talks. It is time are our rulers and their adversaries sit together and ponder over their faults and draw a strategy to confront bitter realities prevailing across the country. They need to keep in mind that at the time of reckoning no one was/is better than the other. Likewise the powerful media needs to spare some space for citizens to express their opinions than drumbeating about their own freedom of expression.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH
Islamabad
