Making a Mockery of Democracy

"Waging democracy in the spirit of revenge is the worst form of democracy. This shows the type of democracy which Benazir Bhutto’s (BB) Peoples Party wanted to enforce in Pakistan."(Gill)

What has happened to you Dr. Gill you are getting a little too literal like a fundamentalist these days.

For crying out loud -- that is just a metaphor from an awkward nervous 19 year old kid -- being a little too heavily interpreted by a 56 year old veteran supposedly sedate doctor of science in such dire terms. I think you are overinterpreting in your biased article. Take it easy.

"what can be more undemocratic than this" -- how about Musharraf sahib's 'democrazy' -- what do you think?

krashid1961:

Thanks for pointing out the mistake regarding 1963. PPP was founded in 1967.

nasah:

You've completely missed the central point of the article. PPP is dynastic in character and not democratic. Such a party which insists on passing the leadership from father to daughter and to the son can hardly introduce true democracy in Pakistan. It needs first to reform itself.

Is "an awkward nervous kid" fit to be the leader of PPP? What qualifications does he have to become the top leader of PPP other than being the son of his mother, BB?

And Bilawal did not say "democracy is the best revenge," he simply quoted his mother. Pakistan will continue to suffer in its political misery until there are some fundamental reforms in the political parties.

Be well,

Mohammad Gill

Gill:
although it is sad but true that the politics you are proposing should be ideal.
But ideological parties both on the left and right with their democratic character are not able to sustain themselves.
I think Bhutto will be ceremonial like Gandhi for congress. Real politics will still be done by people in Pakistan.

Gill Sahib: I fully agree with you. Yesterday, we saw the spectacle of a 19 year old "prince" being anointed successor. A few weeks ago, we saw what should have been a simple change of command in the army to a Royal Coronation ceremony where Musharraf handed over the baton like a retiring emperor handing over the crown to his anointed successor. What a disgrace these clowns are to the nation!!

These primitive and narrow mindsets are the true enemy of Pakistan. This is what Pakistanis, led by those who truly understand the importance of the rule of law to a nation - i.e. the lawyers and judges still languishing in jail - are up against!!

#11 krashid: i think sir that you are confusing the term "ideals" with the term "ideologues". These are two different things. And to condone wadera-practices, as you are doing, is not the same as being realistic. It is merely being slavish to rulers.

Re: # 10 Mohammad:
It is indeed a sad story that Pakistan is lurching from crisis to crisis. If things don't get better in the next few years, the country can implode and the ripple effects will move outward into adjacent countries and outsiders like US, China,Saudi Arabia Afghanistan, Iran and India will be drawn into the mess. It is too horrible to contemplate.

What a pity, people of Pakistan have to gothrough this terrible conditions. I really hope they will come out of this storm! What is the use of fighter planes, missiles and nukes. How can they save or protect Pakistan from internal enemies.?

Kamath

Re: # 10

"Is "an awkward nervous kid" fit to be the leader of PPP"(Gill)

come on freethinker -- do you really believe that teenager is NOW the new leader of the PPP -- after that macabre ceremony -- which is more regional than national -- more symbolic than political -- more emotional than real -- more idiosyncratic than mainstream -- more Pkistan specific than even subcontinental.

To tell you honestly the whole make up of Pakistan's political culture -- past present and I am sure, future -- is as weird and macabre as that of 'khanqahi' coronation of a 19 year old kid as the gaddi nasheen new Pir of the PPP.

So I am surprised that you are surprised.

I thought by this time educated people like you who can be comfortable with the weird macabre ‘democrazy’ of Musharraf sahib will be used to the weirdness of the Larkana ceremony as well -- as tahmed has rightly pointed out.

By the way a "revenge through democracy" that you make it sound so ominous -- may also simply mean -- getting even through non violent, rule of law means -- that is through elections -- or do you think that Musharraf sahib can get even with his gun but the opposition can't get even - even through elections?

Sir TAhmed:
You are the biggest enemy of MQM which is surviving against all odds against Feudal/Industrialist alliance.
Have your basis straight and you will start looking through the eyes of a democrat.

Gill Saheb, you're spot on in most of this article. I fully agree.

Even though the below is a quote, and not your personal opinion, I would like to correct just for the sake of record:

Murtaza’s wife Ghinwa and his daughter Fatima as well as Benazir’s mother, all firmly believed that Benazir gave the order to have him killed.”

This is not correct. Fatima was crying uncontrollably on TV. Ghinwa believes that, yes, and Mumtaz Bhutto too to some extent.

However, it is on record that Benazir had signed Murtaza's detention orders by the Ministry of Interior, but she had no idea they were going to kill him.

Regards.

#16 krashid: What has mqm done other than "survive" and rant hollow slogans about the "feudal/industrialist alliance"? Let me count for you:

1. Kill peaceful protestors on May 12.
2. Promote ethnic rifts in karachi.
3. Promote violence against political opponents.
4. Support a military dictatorship while ridiculing Pakistani civil society that has bravely stood up.

I would be much obliged if you could tell me what I am missing above. If you cant do that, then it seems to me that you need to get your basis straight and look through the eyes of a democrat.

nasah:

First let me point out again that I am against military rule whether it's of Musharaff, Zia, or Ayyub's. So please don't bracket me with the pro-Musharaff camp.

Secondly, you are not hitting the nail on its head but going round and round in your rationalizations. Tell me what qualifications does Bilawal have to be the top leader of PPP? Don't tell me it's only symbolic; he is the chairman of the party or isn't he?

You are carried away by your love for BB and her party which is feudalistic and dynastic at the top. It is true that she was a charismatic person but as a leader she did very little for Pakistan.

All that I am saying is that PPP needs reform. It should be released from its dynastic clutches.

Mohammad Gill

Perhaps Zardari will be a better leader than Ben' Bhu' might have been, because Zardari knows he has to overcome his image problem. What I find curious is that independently wealthly people like the Bhuttos, Sharifs and Musharrafs don't just relocate permanently to the south of France and live it up on the Riviera till they drop, they keep coming back for more loot in their country of origin. Absolute power, it seems, has a fatal attraction to it.

#20
bhuttos got wealthy by grabbing land generations ago. sharif's got wealthy decades ago by creating industrial units in Pakistan.
musharraf got wealthy the past few years - by abusing his uniform to take over and wreck the rule of law in the country and blackmail the rest of the world with his mullah bogeymen.

Which wealth is legitimate, and which is mere criminal?

Re: # 19
Freethinker;

loyality based on caste and tribal loyalities is nothing new. See what hapened to Indian leadership when Indira Gandhi was assasinated.! Rajiv was selected because of pedigree of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty! Only difference was he was nearly forty- that is all and was chosen by a sort of nod from leaders of other parties too in N.Delhi.

In that sense, South Asian political culture has a long way to attain high degree of maturity and development. So give some time. Teenager Bilwal will not be matched to a shrewed, experienced commando General in civvies. He maight get outmanouvered or or!! Have patience.

Kamath

Gill Sahib,

The FP shows this caption

[Waging democracy in the spirit of revenge is the worst form of democracy.] is twisting the meaning that was actually said "Democracy is the best revenge."

Please do not twist the actual meaning of the spoken words.

Of course, winning through free and fair elections is the best revenge for PPP at this time.

Also, PPP gave the masses a free spirit to think and rise up against the established society, when it started back in the late 60's. It is the poor masses of Pakistan that love this party.

Gill Sahib,

With all due respect I was hoping to see the William

Dalrymple article on the CHOWK FP instead of it being

quoted. It was sent to me by a friend yesterday.

That said, you are not too far off the mark on how

the new Chairman of the PPP was chosen.

Maybe in AZ it is BB that has had her final revenge!

Ras