The solution to Pakistan's myriad problems lies in the principles of civilian supremacy and adhering to the Constitution in letter and spirit by all the state's institutions and power centres.
This was stated by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Thursday while addressing several small and large public meetings in Loralai in Balochistan.
Achakzai asked that if the affairs of a simple village cannot be run effectively and harmoniously without adhering to certain commonly agreed-upon charters or conventions, how one can even think of running a country successfully that can realise the aspirations of its citizens.
In a veiled swipe, he said merely holding elections and shepherding the turncoats in a certain direction is a futile exercise that has brought neither stability nor prosperity in the past. He then questioned how one could expect different results from an often-repeated exercise.
"In the 1950s, only to deprive people of their basic right to self-rule by electing their representatives, the powers that be devised the notorious formula of 'parity' to equalise the minority with the majority," he said, referring to the one-unit formula.
After the country's dismemberment, he bemoaned that the period of political and election engineering began.
"The fate of this country and the plight of the people can not be turned around until and unless you give the inviolable right of self-rule to the people, allow them to elect their representatives freely with the sole right to hold them accountable," he asserted.
However, he cautioned that before anyone expects such an administration to deliver results with good governance, no power or institution should impinge upon or hinder the power of elected representatives, institutions, or the government.
Achakzai maintained that every state's organ and institution owes its existence and legitimacy to the Constitution. Thus, what is an institution without the Constitution?
Answering his question, Achakzai said every institution should work within its role defined under the Constitution.
He believed that democracy in Pakistan would only be able to deliver once it established its roots. "Unfortunately, we have been struggling to establish democracy for 75 years," he said.
"Ironically, we could not reach the goal of genuine democracy," he lamented, adding that this vicious cycle resulted in instability and abject poverty.
In this regard, Achakzai warned the incumbent caretaker government that establishing a new federal ministry of minerals was equivalent to rolling back the 18th constitutional amendment.
While addressing the Hazara community in the city, Achakzai stated that neither the state nor any group or individual has the right to discriminate based on creed, sect or ethnicity.
He said our struggle is for the oppressed and downtrodden; the Pakhtun are one of them.