Facade of elections is electoral dictatorship, not democracy: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

Blasting Pakistan’s system of government, PAT chief Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the manner of carrying out governance in Pakistan is based on rebellion against the Constitution and in contravention of globally accepted norms of democracy, the Quaid-e-Azam’s ideals, and the Objective Resolution. He said that the toppling of the government had become binding in accordance with the traditions and principles of democracy, adding that revolution would pay the way for real democracy in the country. He stated that in real democracies, institutions, not individuals were strong and the present system in vogue in the country was the worst dictatorship in the garb of democracy.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the country had passed through critical phases during 65 years of its existence in which the dreams of the Quaid-e-Azam and the imperatives of the Objective Resolution remained unfulfilled. He said that the Preamble of the Constitution envisaged that the people were repository of all power and made people’s participation a must in the decision-making. He said that it was unfortunate that the privileged elite occupied power instead of the people and the parties espousing status quo had described people’s economic, social and political exploitation as constitutional democracy. He stated that these parties neither ran democracy nor tried to transfer fruits of democracy to the masses. They held elections after a certain period of time and got a certification of the so-called democracy from the world.

Dr Qadri said that elections were one of the conditions of democratic system and the façade of polls that was displayed after every few years deserved to be called electoral authoritarianism. He said that people were only required to go through the ritual of casting their ballot after every five years and those getting elected turned this vote into a carte blanche to usurp the state resources and decision-making processes, choosing not to get back to the voters for entire span of five years. He said that instead the people were paid back in the form of inflation, massive price hike, lawlessness, and terrorism. He said that there should be inbuilt system of accountability in democracy disabusing voters and the leaders of entertaining any notion of committing corruption and those found to be involved in corrupt practices should be sent home.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that Pakistan’s system of governance was so structured that everyone from the Prime Minister downward to a party worker was involved in corrupt practices and making hay as long as the sun was shining and the political parties were steeped in corruption from head to toe. He said that real democratic societies were full of instances where the leaders were sent home for telling a lie or tampering official record. He said that Pakistan’s bureaucracy was not independent and served the interests of the ruling elite instead of the masses and law. He said that democracy was all about empowerment of the masses through provision of inexpensive socio-economic justice, health and educational opportunities, shelter and jobs. He said that the people were shielded from predators such as police, revenue officials and feudal class in a real democracy. He said that rule of law was the defining characteristic of democracy where everyone irrespective of his status was equal before law, adding that democracy protected life, honor and property of masses and delivered socio-economic justice to all without any discrimination.