Pakistan awaits Arab spring

The Arab spring was clearly the defining moment of the last year, which continues to find echo in all parts of the world. Even in Myanmar the military junta appears to have realized for better that the time for democracy has arrived and could not be further avoided.

So, when people all around the world yearn for true democracy, Pakistan too cannot remain unaffected. Therefore, it’s quite understandable why Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is so anguished for the nation still lagging behind in establishing a fully functional democratic set up. He rightly lamented the fact that while vibrant democracy thrives in India no elected government has been allowed to complete its term in Pakistan for many years. This is truly a very sad commentary on Pakistan’s state of affairs.

The world profusely prides in India’s vibrant democracy, which thrives on strong institutions and constitutionally defined separation of power. Executive, judiciary and legislature in India have done well tostay in their respective domains and honour rights of other institutions. Sadly, healthy democratic set up appears to be the missing link in Pakistan’s democracy. The overzealous indulgence by Pakistani army in the affairs of other institutions has been seen as the sole reason for weakening of democracy.

So, one can understand Gilani’s anguish when he said that though India and Pakistan were created on the same date, there was a stark difference in how they have continued with their democratic systems.

It’s noteworthy to mention that democracy has never been able to institutionalise in Pakistan, as the country witnessed a series of military coups starting from 1958. Besides, memories of last coup by Pervez Musharraf's overthrow of Nawaz Sharif's elected government in 1999 still remain fresh. The pitfalls of Pakistan having been under several decades of military rule are for all to see.

However, Gilani clearly gives a sense, that the struggle for democratic ways of life is still going on in Pakistan and one would wish all the success to the civil society there. The provocation for Gilani’s lamentation has apparently been due to his apprehensions of a number of conspiracies being hatched in the country to undermine his government. Notwithstanding internal squabbles in Pakistan, Gilani would do well to keep the fight for democracy alive. In fact, the era of military coups are now part of history.

Besides, Gilani deserves accolade for speaking his mind frankly and freely. In fact, true testimony of a leader is whether he can tell the people not what they want to listen to but what he thinks is right for them.

Therefore, Gilani quite rightly pointed out to the people in Pakistan that the country cannot afford to have wars in 21st century. This statement of fact is quite commendable, knowing well that Jehadi elements clearly backed by Pakistan’s agencies related to military openly indulge in war mongering on the issue of Kashmir. Pakistan has waged four wars on India on the issue of Kashmir, with the last one through intrusion in Kargil still being fresh in the minds of the people.

The Pakistani premier quite rightly stated that any issue, including Kashmir, has to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. While Gilani spelt out the reality, the message to Pakistani military is also quite apparent, that its grounds for intruding into democratic institutions are now obsolete and it should limit itself to its brief only. Experts have rightly diagnosed that the Pakistani army had been exploiting sentiments of the people by feeding anti-India hysteria there.

In fact, Gilani appears to be taking the bull by its horn, as he clearly stated that it was the democratic government, which closed NATO supply lines, got the US to vacate Shamsi airbase and boycotted the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan after NATO attack on Pakistani border. In the same breath, he also reminded that there were question marks about Pakistan's policy on Afghanistan as it was made by a dictator who wore four hats of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the army chief, the President and the Chief Executive in a veiled reference to Parvez Musharaff.

Pakistan would rather do well to take note of the way how Bangladesh has embarked on nation building by single mindedly focusing on socio-economic advancement of its people, while also scripting a win-win partnership with India.

In nutshell 21st century has no place for war and hysteria and rather it’s for partnership and peaceful co-existence. Pakistani civil society has quite commendably been vocal in the recent past for its rights. Pakistan has to find a way out of the gray areas, which allow other institutions to trample with democratic ways of governance as a step forward.