Winning the people

Instead of outlining their policies and how they hope to benefit the people, government representatives and PTI leaders spend more time playing the blame game. By associating the political elite with scandals and financial mismanagement, the new political rhetoric has damaged the reputation of the entire political class. In the 2018 elections, close to 49 per cent of the electorate did not cast votes. It is safe to assume that most Pakistanis are apolitical or completely uninterested in the electoral process.

The democratic system is threatened when people feel that politics lacks a purpose. Their confidence declines when governments are perceived as incompetent and driven by limited political interests. Regardless of their political leanings, governments and political systems are losing people’s trust. To restore this confidence, our politicians must acknowledge that their opponents are their ‘rivals’, not villains who must be demonized and destroyed. If constitutional limitations and restrictions are upheld, confidence in institutions can also be increased.

Muhammad Usama Shoaib

Rahim Yar Khan