Continuity of Democracy started bearing Fruit

So a ‘first timer’ successful transfer of people’s mandate to a fresher mandate has taken place. A handshake between an outgoing legitimately elected civil government with another elected government is no less important than the creation of the country itself. Finally we have proven and shown to the world and especially ourselves that we are no kind of savages, as many out there want to prove us as such, many within as well. 

Who to give credit for this biggest milestone, let me say bigger even than achieving the nuclear status milestone, I think goes to Mian Nawaz Sharif. Media, Judiciary, Establishment et al, are still busy congratulating themselves, but none left no stone unturned for the demise of the last elected government prematurely. Especially media considered it only legitimate to topple a government as long as their freedom to air fiery talk shows is assured, which runs this Biilions Rupees industry.

May be Mian Nawaz Sharif helped complete the last tenure in an anticipation of his own tenure attaining completion (would be another ‘first timer’ if happened), but his selfish approach, if it really was, proved to be better omen for the nation. Democracy got strengthened.  Democracy itself is not a system of government per se (many consider it to be one, owing to lack of education about it), it only provides a nation to develop one, which works best for itself. It gives people not only power to govern themselves, but awards them the right and opportunity to pursue happiness.

Now what we see with the continuity of democracy is an increase in the belief in state(balochistan and kpk, for instance), the confidence that we can oust a bad performing regime, the trust that our vote, our voice bears power, which can shake the tall walls of power centers but can send ripples abroad. That effectiveness of people power cannot be surpassed by a media, which eternally wants to remain in the mood and mode of ‘king-makers’ and ‘kingship-breakers’. The myth has broken. And its noise has reached out to the Eskimos of arctic and aborigines of western Australia (of course metaphorically).

Irrespective who won the elections, more important is masses are first time breathing the fresh air out of the smoke of confusion, created by powers of doom, about the choice between ballot and boots.

The clarity of perception, no matter how subtle, is a big breakthrough in favour of democracy. Welcome the awareness of individual’s right as a next step. The discourse in who is right and who is wrong is changing into ‘who can deliver’. The slumber-loving bureaucracy has started feeling heat of public pressure, as the shade of their long created smoke-screen is giving way. Reminds me of my innocent question to my (ex-) French boss almost a decade ago, how come French bureaucracy is so efficient and each step government takes clearly seems towards welfare of general public? She first seemed startled and then bearing with my non-democratic nationality credentials, patiently replied (as if admonishing) that ‘they know they would have to face public pressure’. Sure by public pressure she did not mean burning tires, ransacking public buildings, smoldering government offices or even staging sit-ins with donuts and coffee in hands and blocking roads, but may be a fear of all this. As a small traffic hazard in the developed democracies puts the whole metropolitan police in a state of an emergency.

Now the media and judiciary cannot be totally discounted from the credit of creating the sense and hope that justice (sorry but I refuse to budge from my POV that the terms ‘hope’ and ‘justice’ can be trademarked by any person or party, these terms were free and should remain so, so that their meanings and purpose of creation don’t die with the demise of any person or party) can be achieved. Another myth busted. So the mafias and powers who wanted to keep generations after generations in agony and ordeal by creating myths, must be in pain, deep pain. The prone ones must be taking my cue to armed forces, but not exactly, though there could be and most likely would be such elements there, but I mean to point towards all who survive on the carcass of democratic set-up, yes all scavengers and parasites,  all these combine to make a single ‘anti-democracy’ interest group with varying individual/group interests.

The public out-cry against corruption has shown that a real democracy is not a good thriving place for it. Understandably masses may not yet be able relate rooting out of corruption with the tools democracy provides, but they have successfully used some of these tools. And for it no party can be credited, no matter how loud they spoke against it, especially the ones which are in childish race of collecting credits. Political parties only spoke about because people took the lead and raised questions, showed anger wherever possible. Raising questions, showing anger and still remain civil is what continuity of democracy instills in a populace. Democracy continues, hope continues.

It’s about time that government, media, intelligentsia, various types of influencers, intellectuals create and join a platform which can work to spread the awareness and education about the benefits of democracy but also how it can help and has so far helped them. Though masses have played a role which can only be termed as sensible by opting for democracy despite a lot of efforts to distract from it, but political parties must realize that wolves out there still want to prey onto it. How they weaken them to the point of giving them a death knell and how they make sure to successfully relate performance with democracy is a billion rupee question. It’s no more a challenge, no more an option, but it’s a MUST.

If politicians, in the presence of all cheap tactics and conspiracies can be successful in democracy’s continuity, they can also use it to make ‘the Pakistani dream’ come true.   

The Road to Hell

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” or this proverb’s French counterpart “L’enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs” (hell is full of good wishes and desires) are aphorisms quite sententious in their meanings. Problem with adages like these is that they turn into clichés and lose their good meanings along with their spirit, the good thing is, the fact they describe never dies away and keeps hovering above.
Now the matter of good intentions comes in when we look at the current state of affairs of electioneering in Pakistan. This time around a seller of ‘Change’ (another clichéd term) is on the scene. Why to describe him in third person, let’s call him Imran Khan. Now I don’t doubt Mr. Khan’s apparent (stress) intentions and, gosh, more I have belief on his supporters’ intentions. Mr. Khan and his clan’s aspirations for the country are admirable in the view of non-performance of last five years of working democracy. This is a gentleman’s general view of the situation and as he sees or presents it on the media, or to the public.
Is the performance of last term really the reason for Mr. Khan’s rise on the scene? If Yes then why the worst performing Federal Government of PPP is missing from his target menu, along with the sindh and Balochistan governments. KPK government was ideal so Mr. Khan shies away from naming it, too.
That means there’s more, than meets the eyes. I still have no doubts about Khan’s supporters’ intentions, only have complaint against their squint eyes and grimaced faces. But what matters most ‘is’ Mr. Khan’s own intentions. Does he think that mentioning Zardari once or twice in his speeches is good enough to show his balanced mental approach? Is this his sense of justice he promises to bring to our land? Now this is too easy for a nerd to get.
So situation seems to go little deeper. One’s point of interest kindles at the thought that what new he has brought about that such a sudden burst of popularity embraced him. What is new? The idea of Pakistan he is clamouring around is cent percent same as he did 17 years ago. The governments then had all the ills, performance would beg asylum from (per him). Why Khan’s bitnoben didn’t sell then? Because it didn’t carry much weight, was stuffed with all good words, yet sounded undeliverable by him, evinced lot of personal ambition etc (The list is too long)
So much for Imran Khan’s intentions, one must focus on the fact that most of us don’t even realize what waiting for us in case Imran’s party’s wins (and this whole thesis is based on the hypothesis of Imran Khan’s victory in elections). Personally I feel unsafe in Imran’s Naya Pakistan as a citizen, and fact is all the people believing in personal freedom, freedom of expression, liberty to exude individual creativity and sense of development etc would all become vulnerable. It’s not because of Imran’s desire and teaching of his followers to use Bat, his election symbol, as a weapon against his opponents, by successfully wrapping it in a cricket vernacular, but for the forces who were receding due to infamous dictator’s deeds, upsurge of activist media, a vibrant judiciary and an out coming civil society, hasn’t surrendered yet. Not that I am pointing out to spy agencies only, but to a mentality, a way of thinking, which does not
believe in any good values. They are unable to digest all these good values. All these evil forces and symbols of status-quo were suffocating during the last days of dictator and re-beginning of democracy right afterwards. They were on a look out for a way to survival, PPP’s longstanding image of being anti-status-quo and PMLN’s hard won anti-establishment and rebel to status-quo image had quashed them into hideouts. No longer did they find out that PPP has lost its liberal, anti-status-quo socle, its popular positions compromised and the party’s ideology turned into a mumbo-jumbo only to kowtow to its co-chairperson’s ambitions (has the word ‘ambitions’ repeated itself?). Here the forces to be, found some respite, seemingly, after lot of deliberations and PPP’s lack of capability and its interest thereof only in money matters, (and some other ambitions against Punjab and becoming the Robin Hood for other provinces) relished the idea of
spanking the erstwhile political enemies, a dream come true for many. So it was decided that pace of over-zealous Punjab chief be paced down, load-shedding be made weapon which would create all sorts of damages to the most developed and developing province, as soon as the damaged is done, unleash a vocal leader with some glamour and attraction, and who is only Vocal.
After little dusting, the needed character was found from holy repository of (un)usable leaders. Why to talk in third person, let’s call him Imran Khan. Now the situation is, the new found savior is found squalling hither and thither fullfilling holy agendas. Behind all his tall claims hides the big plan of making this nation hostage to suffocating restrictions, a controlled, very controlled democratic set-up. Majority thinks, Khan has some bone to pick with Nawaz Sharif and his party, when you go deep you don’t find anything concrete, he can really put up against Nawaz. So Nawaz Sharif and his party is being used as a Red Herring, not for Nawaz and his party is the only reliable and worthy voice against all the devilish forces, but agenda is against the common man of Pakistan. Who would only be left to feel disappointed over his choice, on the pretext of Performance yet another time. And by the time unripe minds of today who are taking politics as a
video game and Imran Khan as their Mario or Gordon Freeman and election campaign and votes as their controls, would grow up and consider it as a wrong of their young hood. They’d again be blaming older generations, then in a different context.
Now let that be who has what intentions and playing what games, it’s a sorry state of affairs that no political party is able to understand the gravity of situation. PMLN's reaction to rising threat is only reactionary and their invalid media cell has failed to expose Khan and his sponsors, behind his cosmetically done good agenda badly. Even more sorry state of affairs is that of PPP, which is in total control of the Greed orientation of its leader, its sympathizers still pin hopes to it, just being loyal to their liberal ideology.
Sadly PMLN, PPP (if PPP really not abetters with IK Network), Media (which is openly siding with Imran Khan) and the erudite classes of our society have failed to comprehend the challenge lying ahead in form of Imran Khan and his sponsors and taking the coming elections in a stride leave alone spreading the awareness about it.
So if PMLN or PPP are incapable or unwilling to expose khan and his sponsors’ agenda, should the rest of Pakistanis let their and their country’s future go in abyss? and back-track on all the efforts and successes gained against these forces so far? and compromise our freedoms, our moderate disposition to a Modern Clad Taliban styled mentality? say good-bye to Progressiveness and developmen? and come out saying to the world, here we are new Afghanistan and then keep rotting in this hell for 4-5 more generations?? Just watching TV analyses, burning from inside, cursing Khan on Social Media and private gatherings is a recipe to disaster, a disaster whose magnitude hardly anybody seems to be able to realize and gauge. If saner voices sit back and see the coming elections with that subtle interest in politics and silhouetting the changing face of la politique with deep interest and stopped short of Exposing Khan and his hidden Nefarious designs then that
would be a wrong way to tread and would prove to be a Road to Hell, paved with all good intentions.