Anarchists vs monarchists

Working towards a real democracy

In Pakistan whenever we execute a project – let’s say a road – it has two realities: one in the engineering drawings and the second the actual road being built. In other words on paper Pakistani roads and infrastructure should be one of the best in the world but the actual reality is pathetically substandard. Same is the situation of Pakistani democracy. We have a constitution; an elected parliament of upper and lower houses; devolution of power to the provinces and local government; and an elected executive. In other words on paper we are a fully functioning democracy but the reality is much more different. There is the ruling elite that control all levers of power while those ruled are bending under the weight of poverty, unemployment, absence of justice and uncertain security of life and property. Despite having total control it seems the ruling elite are still engaged in a tug of war among each other to acquire power. This struggle is largely between anarchists and monarchists. 

Anarchists are engaged in undermining and discrediting the state institutions of election commission, judiciary, police, and bureaucracy. Their objective seems to be complete breakdown of public trust on these state institutions. The difference between an anarchists and a reformist is that the later does not want a complete break from the past and seek gradual improvement in the system. Anarchist on the other hand wants complete breakdown of a system and do not have any viable plan to improve it. They seek to develop their own reality for a short term gain in the form of rise of a tyrant when we look at the history. Revolutionaries are a form of anarchists but they pursue a higher ideal while the other pursue naked grab for power. The leaders of the anarchist camp are Imran Khan, Tahir ul Qadri and Sheikh Rasheed. They are raising questions about the performance of state organisations but do not offer any reform agenda. Imran Khan has on record stated many times that there is no hope of reforming the institutions. I had the opportunity to look at the PTI application to the Supreme Court and my reaction was same as the registrar as it was frivolous. If we recall before formation of Judicial Commission (JC) for election rigging PTI claimed that they have truck load of evidence but the JC report complained that PTI counsel did not present evidence of systematic rigging or try to establish connection between ROs and PML-N. In other words the objective of most petitions filed by PTI is to discredit institutions rather than to seek a redressal of their concerns and pressurise them to improve performance. 

But anarchists are not the only one taking the system to the breaking point. On the other side are monarchists who are equally responsible for dismal state of affairs. Monarchists are seeking complete control of state institutions by placement of their cronies at all positions of power. Their objective is to retain control of the state institutions for the benefit of their future generations rather than for the nation at large. The recent example of monarchist control was exhibited when speaker of the national assembly refused to forward references filed against the Prime Minister to the election commission for processing. The leaders of the monarchist camp are Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Asfandyar Wali Khan, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman. These monarchists are suffocating the space for all other segments of the society by retaining complete control of political power for their narrow parochial interests. 

Both anarchists and monarchists are responsible for the stalemate and fragility of the democratic enterprise. They have nothing to offer to the nation at large. The situation is untenable and if corrective actions are not taken it can resort to a civil war. Solution is not to derail the democratic system but to take steps for real functioning democracy where power belongs to people rather than elites of the nation. 

First step is emergence of a network of intellectuals that provide a vision of the future with a well thought out road map to implement it. Our intellectuals are failing at this because of the inherent risks to their personal life and property. All reformist intellectuals have to face hardships whether it was Socrates, Voltaire, Karl Marx, Martin Luther King or anyone else. Prophets also experienced hardships when they tried to reform their societies. But despite their personal hardships they were able to offer a new social contract for their communities. Pakistan is lacking in this and it is one of the reasons for our social decline and fragility of democratic institutions. These intellectuals should form philosophical clubs in each district of the country to initiate education of the nation in politics and an ideology for the future. They should stage plays, write poems, hold seminars and publish articles. Most importantly they have to network with each other so that there is dynamic debate on the future vision for the country. 

Second step we need to take is to become more engaged in politics on the ground rather than remain passive observers with only activity of voting every five years. The political activist class has almost become extinct in Pakistan and has to be revived. I am really glad to see that farmers of Pakistan decided to become more vocal and formed Pakistan Kissan Etihad to develop a political platform for their demands. Labor, clerks, traders, and salaried middle class should also form such political platforms.  

Third is continuation of the democratic enterprise but more pressure on politicians to provide detailed plans to resolve social issues; monitoring of implementation of their election promises; and delivery of good governance. Print and electronic media can play a very significant role in setting this agenda. Print media has improved its performance by wide distribution of message through internet but electronic media is failing to deliver on its promise especially those that are run by professional journalistic organisations. Social media is currently dominated by propagandists which supports anarchy. Established media has to promote a more informed narrative on social media. 

It is important for the nation to reject both anarchists and monarchists. Inside PTI we are making an all out effort to bring Imran Khan back on the reform agenda rather than pursue a more destructive anarchist approach. I hope activists in PML N and PPP will also put pressure on their party heads to become democrats rather than remain monarchs. Practice of inheriting top leadership position has to be eliminated and internal democracy introduced in the parties. We are going through an interesting period and hopefully together we can chart a progressive course of action. 

While anarchists and monarchists are busy in a power tussle, a reliable news channel reported yesterday that a pregnant woman incarcerated in Adiala Jail for an alleged but unproven crime died because she was refused bail. Fate of Pakistan will be similar to that pregnant women if we allow anarchists and monarchist to control it.