When we think of world leaders or people who have created an impact on world politics in a positive manner, we think of people who have worked hard, stood to their ideology, and have had a long path of hardships and struggle. Back in the days when there was no such thing as democracy and people were not allowed to choose their leaders, power shift within the family was common, which also comes with some kind of hardships, at least to a certain extent.
In today’s Pakistan, democracy is family transmitted. When a common man of Pakistan will throw down his cards of options for choosing their leader or a person they want to give power to take decisions for the country, they will have family transmitted politicians in almost every other political party in Pakistan.
Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto despite getting an easy access to the politics of Pakistan, have failed to establish their own policies; their main purpose is to save their family politics
Why would people go for someone who got the platform to be in running for Prime Minister of a country just because their father, mother, grandfather, uncle, brother and probably everyone in the family has achieved a certain level of position in politics? Even if they would have done a one month unpaid internship in a Pakistani office, they would’ve understood the problems of a common man a little better.
Read more: Pakistan’s politics: Art of manipulating societal sentiment for personal aggrandizement
Democracy in Pakistan has never been smooth, since the time of independence in 1947, we have seen dictators in rule, and it was a journey of ups and down of democracy until 2008. Now the status-quo of Pakistan which didn’t get power for the first time in the democratic history of Pakistan, is accusing the army of interference, and Imran Khan for undemocratic style of governance.
‘Champions of democracy’
The question that needs to be asked to all ‘champions of democracy’ is how would you define yourself as democrats when your whole political career is made out of undemocratic decisions? Sharif, for example became a minister in Punjab cabinet because of Zia-ul-Haq.
The moment they are out of power, they are the first one to get the establishment involved to topple the government, which they have done frequently in the 90s
Every other case of corruption against each other was initiated by them, which now they call victimization by different institutes. Nawaz Sharif was a petitioner against Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani when he was disqualified by the Supreme Court. Now in 2020, the same Nawaz Sharif is blaming the establishment for PM Gillani’s disqualification. Even if the establishment was involved, Nawaz Sharif was equally responsible for it as well.
Read more: Court declares Nawaz Sharif absconder: Will he return to Pakistan?
The champions of democracy think calling a Lahore High court judge to increase the sentence of a rival politician is fine and spreading edited pictures of a rival female politician is democratic. They also think giving BMW and briefcases is democratic. Since all of this is not happening right now, the definition of democracy they know does not fit, hence, they decided to join each other to save their political careers.
Now here we are in 2020, when all the so called democratic leaders, with their definition of democracy are in process of transmitting their family inheritance and right to rule this country to their kids. Since it was difficult for the ‘hukmaran khandan’ to stick their feet into something, they are picking an anti-everything tone just to launch the new face of the family dynasty once more.
For them democracy is about having power. The bond which is keeping together all political parties except the one on the government benches, is to not let the accountability process continue in the country. The moment they are out of power, they are the first one to get the establishment involved to topple the government, which they have done frequently in the 90s, and now they are transmitting the same ideology to the next generation of family politicians. Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto despite getting an easy access to the politics of Pakistan, have failed to establish their own policies; their main purpose is to save their family politics. They have failed miserably in conveying what they will do for the people as have their forefathers.
Read more: Are Nawaz Sharif & Maryam Nawaz deliberately targeting Pakistan Army?
Fahad Qureshi is a MPhil scholar, analyst and journalist with an expertise in national and international politics. The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.