The worst democracy is better than a dictatorship. Human history is a witness that dictators throughout history have been the cause of immense human misery, suffering, pain, chaos death, and destruction. Some dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini have enjoyed immense popularity and love of the people they ruled but in the end, they were the cause of immense destruction and ruin. Hitler led Germany against the Western democracies in the Second World War and Germany suffered a humiliating defeat and complete destruction in 1945. Mussolini and the Fascist party of Italy subjected their people to immense pain and misery by siding with Adolf Hitler in the war that resulted in capitulation and misery for the Italian nation. Some Muslim countries like Egypt, Iraq, and Libya had long periods of dictatorship with immensely popular leaders like Gamal Nasir, Saddam Hussein, and Muammar Qaddafi but instead of leading their countries to peace and prosperity, they became the cause of immense misery and pain for their people.
Totalitarian regimes and absolute dictators in the past and the present are nothing but an insult to the human race. Most developing countries or the so-called third world nations today are still not true democracies but they are in the process of becoming dictatorships or under a single party or a dynastic regime. Pakistan too stands at a crossroads. This country has experimented with the Presidential system and the Parliamentary democratic form too. There has been direct military rule or martial law for almost thirty-five years. The people of Pakistan have yet to decide whether they want to become a dictatorship, a theological state, or a modern secular democratic society. In Pakistan, we are going through a critical stage when all political parties in the country have only one aim and objective and that is to grab power. The most popular party has resorted to a protest movement and show of street power to reclaim their right to rule the country once again. All forms of totalitarian regimes are not accountable to anybody, they do not have any type of second-tier leadership and are simply allergic to any type of questions regarding their style of governance.
All dictators like Hitler, Saddam, Qaddafi, or Marcos believe they cannot make any mistakes and have the divine right to rule. Such regimes garner all the power that is possible in one person and detest any type of checks and balances. Dictators go to any extent to preserve their power and to ensure the continuation of their power game in their second generation. Hafiz Assad of Syria during his last days in power recalled his doctor son from the UK and installed him as the President before he died. The universally accepted rights of the people that is the right of speech, thought, worship, and assembly are neglected because they believe that such rights will lead to a challenge to their rule.
In Pakistan, the threat to our survival is based on political instability and the control of political and economic power by the elite
Many nations have become failed states and disintegrated in recent history. Countries like the USSR have fragmented into a dozen pieces, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the German Democratic Republic or GDR have ended up on the dust heap of history. The sad demise of failed states is definitely the result of flawed policies, a dissatisfied public, and harsh control of the lives of the people. Countries have collapsed because of their economic, political, and historical blunders. Because power and control were centralised in the elite and the needs of the common man were neglected. All the countries of the world that have adopted a system of pure democracy with a secular agenda and respected basic human rights have advanced and progressed and those who have trampled democratic values underfoot are still wallowing in misery and stagnation.
In Pakistan, the threat to our survival is based on political instability and the control of political and economic power by the elite. Conditions that serve the interests of the few and policies that ensure the power of vested interests and continuation of power while neglecting the rights of the majority. It is a sad situation that for decades economic institutions have transferred wealth from the majority to a small privileged class of population thus damaging the economy of the country. Pakistan is an agricultural country but ironically small farmers are totally dependent on the powerful elite. Our economic policies have failed to protect the poor and promote equal opportunities. Our economy has favored rich groups making it very hard for the poorer communities to prosper. Every year more and more people are slipping below the poverty line. Our political history is replete with long periods of martial law, and political instability that have thwarted long-term economic planning. The different changes in leadership and experiments with types of govt. And the frequent abrogation of the constitution has damaged policy continuation and resulted in chaos and confusion.
This inconsistency undermines domestic confidence and weakens international credibility, affecting foreign investment and aid, both decisive for developing nations. Today Pakistan faces immense challenges because of poor investment in education and human resources. The country is woefully short of a skilled workforce and our industries find it difficult to compete with the world markets. Our educated youth the bulk of our population are leaving the country in droves and this flight of skilled youth is damaging national progress and development. Corruption is another major impediment to progress, undermining public trust in institutions and diverting resources meant for development into private hands. Pakistan ranks 133rd out of 180 countries on Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. Corruption affects all levels of governance. Public funds intended for infrastructure, healthcare, and other critical sectors are often misused. This not only drains resources but also disheartens citizens and discourages public participation. To prosper and progress the priority of the nation should be building strong democratic secular institutions. Greater investments in education and health care and modernising industries to meet the challenges of the globalised world economy.