The country with a small but excruciating historical background has secured 108th place in 2019 among the international democracies. The “annual Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index” provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 167 countries.
The report mentioned that Pakistan has a hybrid regime and a shared democracy where the Parliament can never fly solo on the flight to represent the country. Here, the key matters require the establishment to involve some by their own choice and some to require their presence in Policymaking.
The ruling PTI got worsen over it to seek assistance from the establishment on every constitutional or parliamentary matter, crushing down the party structure and credibility of the government. The dilemma inculcated in the genome of the country, with a blackening history of successive coups, hindering the maturity of democracy and democrats. This came up with mistrust that the Prime minister doesn’t trust their own party members, promising them funds for their constituencies and seeking open ballots in senate elections.
What happened in Daska NA by-Elections opened another pandora box for the country and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). A national Assembly seat was vacant after the previous MNA elected on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) died, exposed the electoral system of the country.
The country’s literature is rich in forceful rigging, ballots abduction, and cessation of polling but this time we get what not only a shock for a common man but challenged the credibility of govt, adding salt to its humiliation. Presiding officers of almost 20 polling stations with results were missing who then appeared on the next day.
They although claimed of being stuck in Fog, but that fog is not new. This fog usually comes to support its candidate regardless of province, cast, and creation. That fog modifies the literature of electoral robbery-grooms it up with the modern world but still, the electoral system of Pakistan couldn’t cope with it.
The Prime minister put his all efforts on the ground to conduct open ballot senate elections-got a presidential order though couldn’t find space in the constitution after Supreme Court rejected with its opinion over it that article 226 doesn’t support the open ballot elections for the upper house. Though it remained on the agenda of the Charter of Democracy signed between PPPP and PMLn, they stood against to government’s this attempt.
Although in a country with a history of military interventions following the Presidential form of government 18th amendment got passed from the Parliament in 2010, the electoral reforms for senate open balloting were not inevitable. The Prime minister spent all of his energies on this, deserting the core kindled mishandling in Daska By-Election. Government must be decisive in sharing energies for a fiasco.
Now at least, the Parliamentarians got serious over the electoral reforms. Figures from both government and opposition have been raising their voices against the role and credibility of ECP. Pakistan Democratic (PDM) protested outside the ECP office in Islamabad and the Prime minister criticized the role of ECP against the corrupt practices in the Senate Elections of 2021. Former speaker National Assembly Doctor Fehmida Mirza also hinted towards the best time for electoral reforms asking Mr. Prime minister to correspond as per the aspirations and demands of electoral clarity and transparency in Pakistan.
Obviously, the democracy in Pakistan is getting matured with its evolutionary run. With the movement of PDM, the curtains have fallen down. But still, we can’t get to the exact road toward the glorious democracy without free and fair elections. Parliamentarians also need to leave double standards.
