Does The Solution To Most Of Pakistan’s Problems Lies In The Green Book?

Over the past seven and a half decades we as a nation haven't achieved much to cherish, and find ourselves in a 'galaxy far far away' from what the Quaid-i-Azam had envisioned for this land of the pure. Religious extremism and intolerance have taken over the beautiful ideas of co-existence and harmony, democratic norms and values have been brushed under the mat by the witch's wand, political vendettas are still the main headline, unnecessary interventions by the Superior Courts and other extra-constitutional bodies are all over, while the law has been reduced to a bedtime story the nation sleeps upon.

The mind starts to boggle when one reads or listens to the reasons that different gurus provide for the state in which we currently find ourselves. Some, in logical terms, blame the economic and political structure of the country which is designed to protect the interest of the landed elite and the corporate mafia, and doesn't care about the common man; while some blame the dynastic political landscape of the country which according to them makes it difficult for the 'true leader' to come forward. Then there are those --the South-Asian cousins of 007 -- who sell their seashells by linking everything with a foreign conspiracy trying to destabilise Pakistan.

One can go on and on, and delve into thousands of these arguments, but one thing which we keep on forgetting is that there is a book in this country, though 26 years younger than Pakistan, on which there is a complete consensus between every Pakistani. That book is known as the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, which recognizes the sovereignty of Allah, and the right of the people to be governed by their true representatives at the same time. A Constitution which is more of a fighter than me or you, which was disbanded and abrogated time and again by the dictators but it took them head on and was restored every time they tried to erase it.

These dynastical setups are a result of unconstitutional interventions in the democratic system which creates a breakdown in the machine and the end result is a new political leader.

Those who challenged the will of the people still roam free not because of any incompetence or flaw in the provisions of the Constitution but due to our lack of consensus to stand behind and implement those provisions. Nothing can be truer than the fact that all our problems -- be they social, political, legal, or even economic -- can only be solved if we follow the Constitution, and make an example out of those who refuse to do so. Every institution of the state must operate inside the boundaries which have been established for it by the Constitution -- the practice of undermining the public's mandate, lifetime disqualifications of popular leaders on technical grounds, and packing up political parties should be put to rest.

One of the most glaring arguments given to discredit political parties and parliamentary democracy in Pakistan is that our parties follow a hereditary system of leadership and that they are not democratic. In my opinion, this reality should not be interpreted without viewing its context. In 75 years of our existence, the actual democratic process has never been allowed to work without any intervention from super-constitutional stakeholders or sometimes from the judiciary. One of the basic premises of any democracy is electoral continuity. Only through free and fair elections can the people filter out the bad eggs from the political landscape of the country.

After 75 years of independence, every Pakistani must know by now that to leave this poisonous trail we must take the last exit: the Constitution.

In other words, these dynastical setups are a result of unconstitutional interventions in the democratic system which creates a breakdown in the machine and the end result is a new political leader. We need to question ourselves whether Shaheed Benazir Bhutto would have joined politics and gotten elected as the prime minister if her father was not hanged by a dictator and was rather defeated by the hands of the people in a free and fair election. Would Maryam Nawaz have become the face of neo-PML-N if her father was not disqualified for not declaring a receivable salary, and was rather defeated in a free and fair election? I leave the answer to your conscience.
The solution to most of our problems already lies in the green book. We just need to practically apply them. Our political parties should also realise this and must strive to reach a consensus to reject every unconstitutional means to seize power or remove an elected government from power. It is high time for them to recognise each other as a legitimate power, and put an end to spreading hate and toxicity against each other.

The political parties must take the lead in regaining the trust of the people in them and the democratic process. They must be united in defending the basic values of the democracy; this will eventually strengthen the parliament and make sure that the public’s mandate is respected. After 75 years of independence, every Pakistani must know by now that to leave this poisonous trail we must take the last exit: the Constitution.