Democracy is a system designed to give power to the people, with the core principle of “by the people, of the people, for the people” placing the common person at the center of governance. However, in Pakistan, the concept of democracy is often misunderstood and convoluted. Political parties accept the results of the polls only when they win, while they cry foul when they lose, and every party showers praise on democracy only when they win and calls it rigging when they lose.
Moreover, the democratic system is intended to devolve power to the grassroots level, but unfortunately, our politicians often forget this principle. They only focus on the “by the people” part, neglecting the “of the people” and “for the people” aspects. Once in power, politicians tend to disregard the people’s interests, and when they are out of power, they feign concern for the people’s welfare. This pattern is evident in both the PTI and PDM parties over the past four years, where the parties in power dismissed the opposition’s concerns about the economy, and now the roles have been reversed.
The truth is, unless our politicians embrace democracy’s true spirit and agree on core economic policies, Pakistan will continue to go in circles. We need a democratic system where politicians accept the will of the people, work for the people’s interests, and agree on fundamental policies for the betterment of the country. Only then can we move towards a prosperous and stable Pakistan.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH,
Islamabad.
