the lull that precedes the next one. Let's not fool ourselves. Ours is a flawed political system that will continue to generate crises. The two top political offices of the country, the president and prime minister, will continue to be a source of friction and instability even when both belong to the same political party. Our political parties have ceased to be incubators of change and have regressed into ethnic, sectarian and religious politics. All of this calls for major changes in the political system before the next crisis results in permanent damage. The frustrating part is that not all of this change may be possible democratically. A failed political system won't change itself.
Our ultimate goal here should be the type of political system and not how it comes. Pakistan needs a political system where political parties are democratised and party leaderships are rotated through internal ballot, where language- and sectarian-based politics are proscribed, and where the different districts of the country are made to get busy in local development instead of getting busy in mass national politics.
Without this kind of change, the existing system will continue to generate crises and encourage foreign intervention. Here, it must be noted that the original sin of disturbing the Pakistani political process is born by the United States and Britain. The attempts at political manipulation by both countries in Pakistan as far back as 2006 have destabilised Pakistan. Their latest intervention might have turned to be positive but it was designed to protect their interests inside the Pakistani government.
Let's celebrate the moment. But let's also take our politicians to task for their failed leadership. And let's keep an eye on the next crisis. It is coming.
The writer works for Geo TV. Email: aq@ahmedquraishi.com
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