How Dare a Dictator Make Us Have Elections.

16 Apr 2010

We have ego issues.

For some reason Pakistani politicians believe that having problems with dictatorship in principle directly translates into hating everything dictators do.

Take the 18th Amendment for example. Intra-party elections, an important aspect of a new era of democracy in Pakistan, have been made optional. Because it was a ‘dictatorial’ move. Intra-party elections are more than just a policy move, it might have been the fundamental answer to Pakistan’s feudal lords always taking charge of their parties and hence votes. It is just another hurdle in Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto becoming defacto chairpersons of the PPP, without, what seemed to the rest of the world, any sort of consensus. It’s no surprise then that people talk of dynastic politics and an impotent democracy becoming the permanent features of a Pakistani government.

I don’t see politicians trying to get rid of a free press, that happened with Musharraf. I don’t see them getting grid of Hudood laws.

It’s no surprise people are a little skeptical when Pakistan offers the world ways to secure nuclear weapons and also produce nuclear power efficiently and effectively. We’ve been doing it for years after all what could possibly go wrong? (This is one of those moments when people can’t tell I’m being sarcastic. I’ll work on that)

For more read this commentary of the bill by Asma Jehangir, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.