The perplexed and disorganized form of democracy in Pakistan has been uniform since its independence. The nation has seen both authoritarian and dictatorial regimes, the affinity of both patterns is that neither of them was able to establish a good political system or a fortunate enough government regime. Similar to the past, the future of Pakistan is also more likely on the pessimistic side. Gaining extra power and authority has become a predictable standard. The impending future is seemed to be gloomy due to the least bothered priority of the government which is public service delivery. The present plot of the country’s politics revolves around characterization, playing religious cards, false accusations, bloody protests, emotional blackmailing, and many other handy tricks to make fool of the citizens of the state. The contemporary political situation is whirling around mainly two political parties which are PMLN (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz) and PTI (Pakistan Tehreek- e -Insaaf). Both well-liked and popular parties somehow have the same problems, the “prime ministers” from the one as well as the party had been ousted. In all of this political mayhem, the residents of the state are sidelined and given the least significance.
It may have been asserted and acclaimed that the choice and decision of the people of the country hold the most crucial role, but looking at the ongoing commotion the part of the citizens is neglected and disregarded. Each day some political leader or a politician conducts a press conference or procession which is centrally based upon one notion that is to conduct elections as, who will rule the state is the decision of the citizens. “Vote ko Izzat Du”, “Faisala Awam ka” and many more similar slogans are chanted, yet the people are paid the least attention.
Ex-Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef a politician who had been in service for three discontinued regimes was the longest-employed head of the government, unfortunately like all other civilian government tenures he failed to complete his five-year regimes. After a long time of banishment from Pakistan he returned to politics in 2011 and was successful in winning the elections of 2013, the biggest perspective of the elections of 2013 was the emergence of PTI and the ever-famous cricketer Imran Khan, who after retirement from cricket established a political party. The fame he gained during the elections of 2013 was through his harsh allegations regarding all the leading political party leaders which include Asif Ali Zardari (belonging to Pakistan People’s Party, PPP), Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman (belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam F), and aforementioned Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef, accusing them all of the corruption and looting the money of the people of the state.
The never-ending protests conducted by PTI lead to the removal of the prime minister from his office in 2017. The vexed PMLN leaders were now on the roads to get back at Imran Khan and launched a new as well as popular slogan “Vote ko Izzat Du” the slogan gained a lot of adoration and approval. Khan on the other hand didn’t sit down, he had already gained a lot of reputation, the narrative that the establishment is behind the downfall of PMLN’s government and the emergence of PTI spread like fire, everyone was accusing the establishment and bureaucracy of playing behind the curtains, in 2018 when PTI won the elections and gained autonomy in the parliament, PMLN joined hands with other opposition parties and formed an alliance called PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) and started schemes to dethrone the Prime Minister who was Imran Khan, soon the PDM was successful in this task, forcing the ex-Prime Minister out by winning the vote of confidence in the assembly. After the dislodgement of the government, unfortunately, Imran Khan took the help of protests and the current situation is getting out of hand the slogan “Let the People Decide” is the main character of the whole scenario.
The false accusations against the establishment and the ruling parties are the constituent of all the speeches. During all these ferocious protests, many people get/are offended due by the usage of religious statements and verses, this strategy led to a murder attack on the PTI leader Imran Khan. This was subsequently used as a tactic to gain people’s support and using it as “fake” evidence to showcase that the in charge government and ex-army chief “General Qamar Javed Bajwa” are involved in the attack on Imran Khan.
All in all, one day the dethroned party member accuses the party of the throne and the other day the same happens to them. In between all this game of gaining the most seats and the “kursi” the actual punishment being suffered by the citizens, the state is going towards terminal economic crises, inflation, increased deficits, and decreasing financial resources. Does the question arise do actually these political parties care about the people’s opinion? Is democracy actually present in Pakistan or is it just a puppet for the game players? “A sitting prime minister has been ousted by a conspiracy” is this narrative actually true or just to manipulate the people? The democracy of Pakistan is in shambles, the governance catastrophe has become the fate of the state. The former Prime Ministers are unable to accept the downfall and are ready to destabilize the next governmental regimes.
