‘Weak political forces work for personal gains instead of civilian supremacy’

Political forces have been weakened by influential quarters since the first day, while space for progressive politics and real democracy has been shrinking. These quarters need a weak foreign minister to influence foreign policy, which suits them. There’s no civilian supremacy and there are no chances of it in the near future.

There was a time when the doctrine of necessity was introduced, but now a “doctrine of facilitation” has been forced under which all politicians are busy serving the establishment. The Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government was formed to please the power that be. In Bhutto’s tenure, the wings of the civil bureaucracy were clipped, but that space was taken over by the military.

The political leadership led the nation at that time. Unfortunately, the political leadership of mainstream parties struggle to make their children prime ministers. The feudal lords, the establishment and capitalists are the real hurdle to civilian supremacy and public rule. Intervention in politics from the establishment is still continuing. Three basic pillars of the state have been defined in the constitution, but there is a fourth pillar which dominates the others.

These views expressed by prominent academics, journalists, jurists and political activists at the launch ceremony of a remarkable book by Hamza Alvi, translated by Dr Riaz Shaikh, under the title ‘Pakistani Politics — the role of military and bureaucracy’.

The speakers included Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh, head of social sciences and associate professor at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, veteran journalist, academic and political analyst Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, writer and political activist Sohail Sangi, Mehnaz Rehman of the Aurat Foundation, academic Dr Jaffar Ahmed, and Justice (retired) Rashid A Rizvi.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tuseef Ahmed Khan wondered how politicians could ensure supremacy in the country, and perhaps none of them had any idea. There is a need to learn from the past and make a long-term struggle for the future, he said.

“Hamza Alvi many decades ago exposed the power that be, and his book is still relevant as no space has been created for democracy and true politics in the country.”

Sohail Sangi said that when Pakistan came into being, political forces were very weak and they were easily replaced by the civil and military bureaucracy. The military took hold and is still continuing. “There is political literature on the MRD movement. However, there is a need to form a new movement on the pattern of the MRD so that a joint struggle could be initiated for the restoration of democracy and civilian supremacy.”

He said that all political forces and parties these days are only pleasing the establishment so that they could gain power. They are not concerned about democracy and public rule. “Thinking about true democracy in Pakistan is the dream of a mad man.”

Mazhar Abbas said that one can easily guess the worth of Pakistani politicians from the legislation passed by the National Assembly and the Senate just two days before the assemblies were dissolved. From such legislation, the division between the civil bureaucracy, military and judiciary would be further widened, he said, adding that even though, those who were the victims of the Official Secrets Act voted in favour of it to make it harsher and stricter.

He said attempts have been made to keep Imran Khan out of politics on the pretext of May 9 incidents. The PDM was made on the pattern the MRD, but political and democratic worth of both movements has a lot of difference. The PDM served the establishment while the MRD worked to restore democracy in the country, he remarked. “The irony is that the elected parliament has been giving extensions to the military courts.”

Mehnaz Rehman said that today’s democracy is not much different from dictatorship, and the present situation is more dangerous. “The PPP is a lucky party that has a number of progressive leaders and workers, but these leaders and workers are unlucky to be members of such a party.”

Dr Jaffar Ahmed said the strength of civil and military coherence is weakened and none of their allies are ready to trust them again. Punjab has been changed politically and now ant-establishment slogans are rising in the province, he said. He was of the view that those societies where movements work without social sciences bear no fruit.

The translator of the book, Dr Riaz Shaikh, said that we were thinking that democracy and political situation had gained strength in the country, but we were wrong as we recently observed that a political party was pushed back even in the presence of the media and social media and after the emergence of a middle class in urban areas.

Rashid A Rizvi said that the issue is that the judiciary is assisting the establishment by following the doctrine of necessity, and the survival of free politics in Pakistan is therefore very difficult.

“The journalists, activists, lawyers, civil society should come forward for the restoration of democracy and civil supremacy.” He said Dr Riaz has made history by translating and publishing Hamza Alvi’s book that is still relevant.