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Political Instability in Pakistan

The territorial issues and border conflicts with India, the socio-economic differences
within the country, the struggle for a share of power between the provinces and the
early death of the founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah, are some of those
realities which not only politicized the policy making elites and their willingness in
introducing the fair democratic procedures but also encouraged the non-democratic
elements including the army. Even after 63 years, as a corollary, the country could not
get cleaned from feudal, tribal, punchayt system and sectarian segregation. In this
grim situation the public has been left untutored in the kind of vigilance usually
needed to hold political leaders accountable.
Pakistan failed to establish a stable democratic government due to constitutional
conflict. Due to political instability, Pakistan’s economic and social growth has been
curtailed.
The root cause of Pakistan political woes lies in its feudal and the winner-take-all
approach to governing that has been practiced by successive civilian and military
leaders. The Muslim League that brought independence to Pakistan, lacked internal
democracy. Once partition and statehood had been achieved, provincial and local
political parties confined Muslim League just a paper-party. There were no opposition
party to counter Muslim League initially, but latter on, Muslim league itself was
disappeared. Coupled with the political legacy of Muslim League, the civil and
military bureaucracy, that was of much importance due to its scarce number, gained
so much power that they depressed the political institution. The constitution-less 10
years-history from 1947 to 1956-was an ill exercise of the political actors, which
invoked the military to interfere in the politics.
Absence of a complete constitution, allowed the peoples with power to manipulate the
political and constitutional institution, as they wanted. Different powerful civil and
military bureaucrats played blasphemy of constitution, parliament and political
parties.
Political parties in Pakistan are not working fairly. The intra-party election is no to be
seen. The leaders, consequently, are autocrats. Political parties are famous in the name
of leader of the parties. Personification has harmed extremely the true essence of
democracy.
The third pitter of the state, the judiciary has also dual strategies all over the history.
Mostly the role of the judiciary has been vulnerable. It has always provided a so-
called legal way to the dictators to assume the power. The constitution has been
abrogated many a time with the help of the judiciary. Beside the judiciary and Army’s
role in politics, the intelligence agencies have become a major actor on the national
political scene. Military intelligence and Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI) are widely
believed to have had a major hand in shaping the candidates and the choices available
to voters at least since General Zia’s general election of 1985. In these situation how a
true democratic government would be formed to realized the dreams of the great
Quaid?
In addition to all above given anti-democracy factors, the dynamic structure of the
state is also not in the favour of democratic values to be flourished. For most of its
history Pakistan has been divided into provinces drawn basically on ethnic lines.
Political loyalties and attitude have a strong ethnic dimension to them, and the central
government’s desires to manage Pakistan’s ethnic diversity can have a major impact
on resource allocation foreign policy decision, and the game of politics.
Another elements which has vitiated the democracy in Pakistan is violance in politics.
The patience require for a democratic system is highly tacking in almost all the parties
and theirs drivers. Democracy accommodate the presence of dissent party. Democracy
is the product of wishes of the people and not of the desires of an elite few. But
political prayer of Pakistan could not do so.
Illiterate voters, family ties a among politicians and feudalism has constrained
democracy in Pakistan.
Democracy can be revived in Pakistan by taking following steps.
1.    Reform the judiciary
2.    Creation of an independent election commission
3.    Internal party elections
4.    Strengthen the free press
5.    Division of provinces
6.    Don’t neglect provincial and local government
7.    Implementation of the constitutions
8.    Continuity of fair elections
9.    Protection of minorities and civil liberties
The nation political parties should embrace a new spirit of co-operation and
constructive opposition, moving beyond out dated confrontational and self-defeating
street action and walk-outs and boycott politics to engage in vigorous political debates
free of violence.

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