State of Democracy in South Asia

DIALOGUE ON HUMAN SECURITY

Pakistan
Dates: 28^th & 29^th August, 2004
Venue: PILER, Karachi

Prof. Peter R deSouza (Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi): “Today’s dialogue is part of a project on the condition of democracy in South Asia. This project can help human progress provided we can develop a network of scholars and activists with a critical view on the political situation in this part of the world. Through this network, ideas and experiences can be shared with the public and the rest of the world. We are trying to develop a network of communities. Then, the ideas of these communities will be presented to the public. There will be a network of scholars who will be part of this project”.

“We shall start the dialogue on democracy by talking about its meaning. We need to agree on certain basic principles. Our discussion will be guided by these principles. Democracy means:

Other principles, for example, accountability, transparency, answerability and representation follow from these. These principles lead to some organizations such as federal form of government, non-centrality, and political parties. These organizations take various shapes in different regions. We are always discussing what kind of establishment is best for us? Is federalism or unitarianism or reforms in political parties or non-centrality most important? Such questions help us in understanding the social issues in a country. This study is done in response to dissatisfaction with the present debate on democracy, especially in the West. The West considers its own form of democracy as the only correct form. If that is so, then what do we call the other forms of ‘democracy’ in practice in the rest of the world? Western democracy overlooks the innovativeness that is carried out in some parts of South Asia such as the ‘Panchayat system’ in India. Practitioners over there look at it through Western eyes”.

“We talk about democracy in South Asia at four levels. Promise is the first important word. Democracy promises certain values and gives us courage but it promises different things to different people with different backgrounds. Secondly, we need to talk about the issues related with the structure of government: What is the structure of our organizations? Which organizations promote federalism? We need to talk about reforms in political parties and the freedom of the judiciary. Nepal, Pakistan and India have all dealt with the question of governmental structure. Two years ago, a committee was constituted in India to study the Indian constitution. The third important concept is the working of democracy. Lastly, we will consider the future of democracy”.

“The State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) project comprises four parts. The first part is a survey to find out the public opinion about democracy. From Pakistan, 3000 persons will participate in this survey. The questionnaire carries 60-70 questions about human security, political parties and various organizations. This survey will tell us how people belonging to different groups, educational backgrounds, religion and castes think about democracy. This data will be the first ever to be collected in South Asia. The second part of the project comprises reports about democracy from five experts from each of the South Asian countries. It will be added to the project as a research section. The third part deals with case studies. Three case studies will be prepared from Pakistan on the following topics: One, the role of the army and religious elements vis-à-vis political parties; two, the rights of women being highlighted under army rule as compared to the parliamentary rule; three, non-centrality in politics”.

“Dialogues are is the fourth part of the project. This open dialogue is an important means of knowing public opinion about democracy. In all, there are 10 such dialogues: 5 in India, 3 in Pakistan, 2 each in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. These dialogues will be recorded on CDs and will be with the coordinators. Any one can make use of them. A report titled ‘The State of Democracy in South Asia” will be published in 2005. Why are we doing this study? The debate on democracy in the West is not satisfactory because the pattern of Western democracy is not the only right form of democracy”.

Dr. Jaafar Ahmad (Karachi University): “This project has been initiated to find out the present condition of democracy in South Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Pakistan. This project has 4 components: a survey, case studies, country reports and dialogues. Various issues will be discussed in the light of the specific political perspectives of each country. It will be observed whether there is a family or political ‘raj’ or the one inherited political leadership. The studies will look into the reasons of this ‘raj’ and other issues such as policies followed by military rule and policies favoured by political governments. The studies will also look into the reasons behind increased awareness of women’s rights during the military government. For example, the present government has increased the number of women’s seats. (However, during the Zia regime, the condition of women was just the opposite)”.

“Yet the views of those in direct contact with the public at the grassroots level were not highlighted anywhere. You are present here today to air your views. Such a dialogue will find out what South Asians really think about democracy and its related issues. The usual research pattern puts the cart before the horse. Usually, papers are read at a seminar and then there are discussions on the topics of the papers. In other words, research is done prior to finding people’s views. This project differs from other researches as the views of the public come first. Our view of the actual state of affairs will depend on how fully you participate in the dialogue and express your views”.

“As Prof. d’Souza has said earlier, ‘this is an open debate’. The dialogue is not structured. Express your points of view openly. You would have guessed by now that the topics under discussion are related to democracy (what do you understand by it. Is there democracy in South Asia? How is the experiment of democracy in Pakistan? Will it be possible to run a democratic government here or not? If the circumstances are not favourable for democracy then what should be done?) You might think of any such issue and here in the open discussion we may find the answers. May be your point of view offers a way out”.

Asim Sajjad (Human Rights Movement, Rawalpindi): “When we talk about democracy with reference to Pakistan, we have to study our past history of colonial rule. When the British established Pakistan they also gave it a parliamentary system of governance but we have to study: how was this system related to this postcolonial state and how much has this system changed. What has been the role of imperialist powers in the history of democracy in Pakistan? Above all, keeping the political situation in Pakistan, we have to ask: was democracy ever allowed to grow in the country? I want to explain that through the state system the postcolonial societies have undergone many changes but state dominance has not changed. The State is the ultimate power. The citizens have not been given any rights. The citizen remains under state rule. It is important to study the class character of the state. The question is which classes control the state. The ruling classes have made themselves strong by working together. Secondly, the international situation also favours the ruling elite. That is why the changes that were needed in the state system did not materialize. As compared with Pakistan, the Indian economic policies underwent changes because of their alliance with the socialist camp. To study a country, one has to look at it in the international context”.

Muqtada Mansoor (Roznama Express, Karachi): “I agree with what Asim said. We are still living in a post-colonial state. Since there has been no democratic change in the state system, the basic democratic values did not take root in the society. Another reason for the lack of democratic growth is the class- based system. So much so that even the education system and media are affected by this class system. Even the indigenous intellectuals and writers are given a second position vis-a-vis the outsiders. The foreign intellectuals may know very little about Pakistan. Still they enjoy an edge over the native intelligentsia. In a nutshell, the public does not participate in the working of democracy”.

Asia Tariq (Tehrik-e-Insaf, Karachi): “The feudal system can be related to UK (United Kingdom) but it died there. So it did in India. It should also come to the same end in Pakistan. In South Asia, democracy is linked to the rate of literacy. Unfortunately, the low literacy rate is one reason for the lack of democracy here. Under the feudal system the people were not made aware of their rights and duties. Democracy cannot flourish in a country where the literacy rate is falling. I stress the need of real education and increase in the literacy rate as a prerequisite for democracy. The feudals should also play a part in increasing literacy in their electoral constituencies. Without literacy, there will be no security of human life”.

Farheen Mughal (Member Provincial Assembly, Hyderabad): “I want to ask: which democracy are we talking about, democracy under the army or the utopian democracy? Take the case of Sindh. One party won the elections with a heavy mandate but by allowing floor crossing for a while, the minority party sits in government and the majority is in opposition. On top of it, the leaders of the two major political parties are not allowed to return home and the ruling prime minister is asked to resign under duress. Still we say there is democracy in Pakistan. Even the worst form of democracy is said to be better than dictatorship, but we do not even have that”.

Zahida Farooq (Urban Resource Centre URC, Karachi): “Even today democracy only serves the people in high places. Democracy is not free. It only serves the generals. The public is basically unaware of the basic structure of rights and duties in a democracy. The public is never given a chance to express any views in the planning or execution of a scheme. In Pakistan, the public is always kept in the dark. This is certainly not a democratic state. Here the minorities suffer due to separate electorates. The minority areas are never a part of development plans. Their votes do not count. People in Pakistan are becoming pessimistic as there is no light at the end of the tunnel”.

Aftab Ahmad (Human Rights HRCP, Hyderabad): “The main reason why democracy failed in Pakistan is the presence of a certain group of people who fight elections and are seen everywhere. The public’s participation in the democratic process is limited to the casting of votes. Democracy is more than casting a vote. Dictatorship is sometimes un-elected and sometimes elected. Those who come through elections are not better than other dictators. Even in the mainstream political parties there are no party elections. Their leaders become leaders for life. As long as there is a class-based system, uneven distribution of resources and economic differences in the public, there can be no democracy in Pakistan”.

Faqir Hussain (Mottahida Labour Federation, Charsadda): “Actually there are three reasons why democracy does not flourish in Pakistan. First, since 1958 the influence of the army has been on the increase. To safeguard its own interests, it played with various forms of democracies such as ‘basic democracy’ through the local government. The army also used Islam to keep democracy at bay but when religious extremism became a danger then the tide turned against it. The second reason why democracy does not flourish is the class-based system here. There are only the poor and the rich. Thirdly, the foreign interests in Pakistan prevent any change for the better here. Privatization has caused thousand to be jobless and trade unions are eliminated by the promulgation of IRO. Unless we strengthen trade unions, organize workers in the agriculture sector, spread awareness in the public, and take the minorities along with us, democracy cannot be established here”.

Aslam Khawaja (Pakistan Social Forum (PSF), Karachi): “I think all the states in South Asia are multinational states. What is important is to ask all the groups if they wish to live in a federation with other groups or not. It is said that the Sindh Assembly had voted for Pakistan but the people did not elect that assembly. So it did not represent the choice of the people. There was no assembly in Baluchistan. As far as the Punjab Assembly is concerned, we all know about it. What is important is that if a nation does not wish to federate, it should have the right to be independent. As long as different groups do not have a right to decide their future, the situation will remain unchanged”.

Hassan Athar (Qaumi Jamhoori Party, Karachi): “The landlords sitting in the assemblies exploit the poor. Emergency was declared within one month of the promulgation of the 1973 constitution. The elected governments were dismissed. First it was the Baluchistan government and then the North West Frontier Provinces (NWFPs). It led to the return of the army. Trade unions and student organizations were banned. These organizations were the upholders of democratic values. Moreover, political parties do not follow democratic principles. Parties become individual or family organizations. This has certainly hurt democracy”.

Manzoor Bedayooni (PLB, Karachi): “Democracy has never been allowed to grow in Pakistan. First, the constitution was abrogated. Then student organizations were banned during the Zia period, whereas the student organizations play a great role in educating young people about democracy. Finally, IRO was imposed on the labour organizations. The introduction of the local government introduced by the present general is useless. Pakistan is the only country that cannot find a suitable person for the post of prime minister. It imports him from abroad. For democracy to function the democratic institutions, student organizations and the trade unions need to be strengthened”.

Buchal Kober (councilor): “The local government did not bring democracy. I will say, with reference to the provincial and district government, that the bureaucracy does not let the Nazims take any action. For one and a half year, District Khairpur was given no budget. The Nazim was helpless”.

Khalid Junejo (Jiay Sindh Mahaz): “France gave the world the three basic principles of freedom, equality and justice. Even now these values are just as important. Wherever these principles are practiced, they make a difference. Before democracy in Europe there were three powers influencing the state: the army, the landed elite and the church. Against them, three kinds of governments came up: secular, democratic and national governments. Pakistan is still facing the 3 powers that Europe faced earlier. As compared to Pakistan, India has a strong secular middle class to support democracy. Another difference is that India was liberated whereas Pakistan was created. The main political party in India is the Congress; a secular and democratically run party. It set the roots of democracy in the government. On the contrary, the landed elite and religious persons ran the party that created Pakistan. They did not develop institutions and they just usurped the power of the state. I think there can be no democracy without secularism. The Pakistan Resolution gave the authority to Allah, where as in democracy the power has to be with the people. All the adventurists and dictators used that provision to their advantage by advertising to be the chosen one to rule in the name of Allah. The concept of a nation state should not be overruled. We have the example of Soviet Union. It was the world’s best system that ran for 70 years but it had bypassed the nation state and hence is now divided into 15 states. The countries of Eastern Europe also broke up on the same lines”.

“The crisis in Pakistan can only be solved by giving importance to the nations, sending the army to the barracks, decentralizing the powers of the state and separating religion from the state. The role of the political parties has been disappointing in establishing democracy. The party that had a two-thirds majority in parliament made the army even more powerful. It used the army to dismantle political institutions. The same party used the army to topple the elected assembly of Baluchistan and it even established army courts. Because the army was invited indirectly, why would not the same army establish its supremacy in its own name? In Pakistan, when a political party is in power it says there is democracy in the country but the moment it is out of power it cries foul. There is no difference in the army and the elected government when it comes to the question of power. None of the two wants decentralization of power. Even the liberal minded people side with the dictators over the question of the rights and power of the nations. We have the case of Bangladesh before us. That was one chance of establishing real democracy in Pakistan. It was lost. The liberals are as much responsible as the army”.
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Amjad Lashari (HSWO, Khairpur): “Pakistan’s history reflects an undemocratic attitude. The 1973 constitution was abolished and the intellectuals and those working in close proximity with the masses were not allowed to participate in decision making. It resulted in the breakup of Pakistan. As long as the parties are undemocratically run, family politics flourish, seats in the assembly are won by money not capability, parties are run by the landlords and propertied class. Democracy cannot be established in this way”.

Ayub Tareen (Senator for Press Development, Quetta): “It is embarrassing to talk of democracy in Pakistan. All our institutions are corrupt, be they labour organizations or political parties. The same party out of government cries foul but when it is in power all is well. These parties in power interfere in Afghanistan as well as India and Kashmir. They set up the Taliban rule in the neighbouring country. There is no democracy within political parties. The party leadership is inherited from the father to the son. The public does not get the party leadership. Their function is only to vote. When they sit in the assemblies the party leaders only help their workers”.

“Musharraf wants to establish his power all over the country. Why is Gwadar port being developed? The people of Gwadar do not want it because they fear a large influx of outside skilled workers who will turn them into a minority. The locals lack know-how, education and experience. Development is denied in Baluchistan on the pretext of Sardari system, though the Sardars do not control the whole area. Billions of rupees are to be spent on establishing cantonments there. The same money could be used for the upliftment of the province, providing education, health care, jobs and building roads. There is no electricity in Gawadar, and Baluchistan is not given the royalty for the gas extracted. How can we believe that the income from Gawadar will in future be spent on Baluchistan? Democracy will not flourish till corruption and mismanagement is not eradicated from the political system and governmental organizations”.

Maulana Obaid-ul-lah Sindhi (Sahgarh): “A secular and democratic socialism is not against Islam. At the inception of Pakistan, two directions were open to Pakistan: towards Russia or the US. Unfortunately, as we were in the hands of a feudal system, we took the road to the US. Russia was our neighbour. We could have made progress. We are fed up with the kind of democracy we have here”.

Zahid Islam (Sangat, Lahore): “I am disappointed after working with the leftists in Pakistan. Democracy is interpreted as one wants to. We find democracy even in the early Islamic rule. Even dictators use its name. Democracy is not operative in any Muslim majority country. Perhaps there should be some rethinking in the Islamic countries and Democracy should play some role there, In Pakistan the army has a role in making and unmaking political parties. The army either directly or indirectly helps the leadership. The present army rule has taken one good step. There has been open debate about the local government within as well as outside the parliament in the public. If there was true parliamentarian rule, people of all religions, races and colours could live together as equals”.

Falak Naz (Aurat Foundation, Sukkhar): “Human security means social, economic and political security. The youth are the most significant section of society. How are we training them at home or in society. We keep them ignorant of the facts. It all shows that there is no human security. We are allowed to discuss only selected topics. If we cross the line, the Agency will step in. This fear does not allow freedom of speech. The intellectuals and the media who mould our views are unable to do so as they too are afraid for themselves. Whatever has been said about the political parties is correct. However, when the parties take a step, their path is blocked with difficulties. Human security needs peace and justice”.

Perel Murree (Insaf Social Welfare, Shikarpur): “There never has been democracy in Pakistan, be it under a dictator or under Bhutto in whose time military action took place in Baluchistan and the North West Frontier Provinces (NWFP) government was brought down. All the institutions are corrupt. Even in local governments instead of the persons from the grass-roots level, the nominees of the landlords became councilors. The political parties are the lackeys of the army. There is not one person in any of the political parties who could be entrusted with the running of the government. Education, health care and sanitation suffer from the same undemocratic ways. Though the jirga is banned the present minister held four jirgas. There has been an increase in karokari incidents and lawlessness is on the increase. The provincial governments should be free either to join the federation or not. Interference in their activities should be stopped”.

Mirza Maqsood (Mazdoor Mahaz Amal, Karachi): “At present, the situation is very grave. The point to consider is: what role can we play in the present? Only civil society could counter defeatism in the government by its actions. Unfortunately civil society is inactive. In a civil society it is the responsibility of the political parties and other social institutions to fight against injustices, corruption and oppression. Without it, there can be no democracy”.

Niaz Baluch (Nazim, Turbat): “The political system is such that one has to curry favours of the GHQ to become the prime minister. District Nazims and political leaders are all nominated. There is no struggle against the wrongs anywhere: the locals in Gawadar are thrown out, the port is constructed without taking the locals into confidence, the Haris in Sindh are trampled by the vaderas and the same is happening in Punjab. The situation will improve only if there is democracy in the political institutions and in the parties”.

Saeed Baluch (Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum, Karachi): “There is injustice everywhere. The provinces do not get their share of water. Badin and Thatha have lost 16 lakh acres of land to the sea. The people suffer from unemployment and loss of cultural heritage. Some parts of Punjab have produced good crops by usurping more water than its share. In Okara, the farmers are thrown off their land as it is now the army property. Women are murdered in the name of karokari. Educational curriculum spreads sectarianism. Jobs are obtained by bribery. The dams are constructed without consultation with the people. World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) rule the country. To establish democracy and Human security in Pakistan, one needs to end the class system at all levels, introduce equal distribution of wealth and the government structure should be based on secularism and made public-friendly”.

Fareed Awan (Pakistan Workers, Karachi): “Abraham Lincoln had said that democracy is rule of the people by the people for the people. Seen against this saying, there is no democracy in Pakistan. The basic fault starts with the making of Pakistan. All India Muslim League was a well-organized middle class party but the Muslim League of 1906 was made up of Nawabs, landlords and capitalists. These same people were in the corridors of power. Seeing that the political parties had no links with the public, the bureaucracy captured all power in the system of government. The army entered politics and together with the bureaucrats made policies detrimental to the public. The army still rules the country. Any politician who tows its line gets power. Since the real public representatives do not sit in the assemblies so who would talk of their problems. The issue of (oppressed) nations in the country is grave. They have to come forward and fight for their rights and justice”.

Mohammad Naseem (All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Karachi): “The rights of the working class have been eroded gradually. The ruling class here has never trusted the public. The rulers and whoever wants power always look up to the USA. We find power lying with the bureaucracy, army and democratic organizations. All our decisions, be they about Human rights or democratic rights, are made by America. But America’s decisions are based on its own interests. So if democracy cannot work here, we have to find some alternative system”.

Sheikh Majeed (Peoples Labour Bureau, Karachi): “Pakistan’s Assembly in 1947 came into being without any real elections and set a wrong tradition. Public opinion was not sought and the army’s interference started from day one. Keeping the ground realities in mind we need to organize political power and public forces. Whenever the army comes into power, more than destroying the political parties it destroys the trade unions. Democracy is neither an economic system nor a solution to any problem. It is only a system of running the government. Some think that after the fall of the USSR, socialism is not a viable system but socialism is making a comeback. We can win our rights only by furthering a sound economic system”.

Muqtada Ali Mansoor Khan (columnist Roznama Express, Karachi): “There can be no democracy without provincial autonomy as given in the Constitution. The South Asian countries face the issue of peace, especially Pakistan and India. Pakistan suffers from the fundamental fear for its existence. The army capitalized on this fear to spend a big chunk of the national income on defence. In 1947, the army was poorly equipped but within 3 years it became a modern army. By saying that the country is in danger it started interfering in the running of the state”.

Momen Khan (Qaumi Jamhoori party, Hyderabad): “Democracy is a system. We have to ask: can it become a part of an industrial, feudal and tribal society? When our political parties are out of the government they find democracy in danger, unemployment and other problems; but once they come to power everything is considered normal. Student organizations should be free. These organizations are the training grounds for political workers. These organizations take the leading role in any struggle/revolution such as in Palestine and Vietnam. What part society can play internally or externally in bringing a change in the institutions of state? There is organized and selective terrorism in the country”.

Asia Tariq (Pakistan Tehrik Insaf, Karachi): “The political organizations threaten not only the public but also the heads of states. Sonia Gandhi was threatened not to become the prime minister. Chandrika of Sri Lanka was attacked during the election campaign. When we talk of fear, we forget that we ourselves are responsible for it. Government alone is not responsible for eradication of fear. We always look up to others to solve our problems”.

Latif Moghul (Peoples Workers Union, Karachi): “Pakistan has always been ruled by the troika of the feudal, army and the civil bureaucracy. Whenever in power, the army calls for local bodies elections so that the public’s attention is diverted from the serious issues. In the recent local elections, the government offered a 7-point agenda to shift power to the provinces. Unfortunately, the presidential form of government is established and the provinces are robbed of their powers. Education, environment and health are basic human rights, and human security is affected by their non-availability. The money being spent on constructing cantonments in Baluchistan should be spent on development of the area. In order to strengthen democracy, the political parties need to be strong and the public should help the parties”.

Zahida Palijo (Sindhiani Tehrik, Hyderabad): “Democracy here means that the ruler is nominated prior to elections and is then elected later. The feudals bow down before the army and the political parties work on the agenda set by the bureaucracy. Parties’ own agenda is only for and during the elections. Elections are manipulated. The bureaucracy works on the American agenda as to who should be in government, when should the army come in and when should the face of democracy be visible. We follow different policies for different provinces. If there is no water then why make dams? There is no water for agriculture in Sindh whereas in Punjab they produce good crops. Which method of agriculture can produce these crops without water? The Kalabagh Dam project is opposed by 3 provinces, still the project is not shelved but when one province (Punjab) was against the NFC, it was not awarded. Is this democracy? We all need a strong Pakistan but is Pakistan not weakened under the present situation? The political parties are arrogant when they are in power but when they are out they cry foul. Actually, America wants a weak Pakistan which can be used by the USA when and as it wants. As a solution to all these problems, the provinces should be independent. They should be given their rights. The nations living here should feel secure because the atmosphere of fear weakens the country”.

Zahid Farooqi (Urban Resources Centre, Karachi): “The liberal forces are not united, whereas the religious and armed forces are united. The liberals fight against each other and they have separate agendas. In comparison, the religious parties have one agenda”.

Khalid Junejo (Jiay Sindh, Karachi): “Human security basically means the security of life, livelihood and self respect. Livelihood is related with resources. So, security of livelihood means security of resources. Joblessness means insecurity. Democracy means reducing differences among people. It is undemocratic to usurp the resources. And whatever is happening in Baluchistan these days is a test for the democratic powers. How can the country provide security when it depends on others for its own security? Atom bombs are developed at the expense of public resources. Actually the state structure is faulty. As far as rights of women are concerned, giving them extra representation is an eyewash to show how liberal we are. The local bodies system was supposed to bring forward a new leadership. Instead it made the feudals even stronger. The worst ‘vadera’ is like a despot. In the whole of South Asia, fascist organizations are feared. There are such organizations in India as well but the difference is that there if Siv Sena calls for Hinduism, the people out cry them. In Pakistan those who work for Human security should come forward. Another issue is of dams. If there is no water why should one talk of dams? What is required is to address the basic needs of the public, so that they can participate in politics”.

Anwar Shaheen (Karachi University): “Our attitudes reflect our upbringing. Our culture is also affected by these attitudes. There is no democracy in our homes. The positive or negative nature of our attitude affects our environment, home, society, and state. We can see reflections of these attitudes in the general public and among those working in the government. Gender differenciation leads to biased treatment in favour of men, both among the young and the old. The authority of the senior members is beyond reasonable limits. Our curriculum needs changes and one NGO did prepare a report. However, due to a strong reaction against it, the government failed to respond positively. People follow dual standards. The public is frustrated as it faces unequal distribution of resources, injustice and poverty. Only 10 to 20 percent of the public casts votes, as it knows that it lacks significance. Those elected are the representatives of the elite. This situation shows clearly the difference between what the politicians claim and how much the public is interested in politics”.

Niaz Balluch (Nazim turbat, Baluchistan): “The struggle has to start from the bottom because no political party in power gives provincial autonomy. NFC award should give autonomy and rights to the nations. If this issue is not solved, the nations will grow apart”.

Prof. Tauseef Ahmad (Urdu University, Karachi): “The second part of democracy is civil society. In Pakistan, there is a constant discussion about the weakness of civil society. It has led to a weak democratic culture and more oppression. How can we improve various institutions of civil society, political parties, trade unions and student organizations? Give suggestions. How can we improve the slow process of emergence of the democratic traditions for improving the standard of common man’s life, especially in countries like Pakistan where democracy is under army power, where the final authority is attached with divinity or with the army chief, where people are not sovereign and the basic institutions of the state cannot make laws for the benefit of the public? The Constitution-making power of the parliament is limited. Also the working of such institutions and political parties is not transparent. They suffer from corruption”.

Fareed Awan (P.W.C., Karachi): “The labour organizations play an important role in civil society. They will play the role of front line fighters in bringing a change in this country. There is no freedom of speech, justice or employment in Pakistan. The only solution is to give freedom to the political parties so that they can raise awareness in the public and prepare them for the future challenges. The largest section of workers belongs to the agricultural sector. They are under the power of the feudals. They do not have the right of ownership, what to talk of the freedom of expression. The feudals have the power over the country’s resources. A fair distribution of resources, spreading democratic values and organizing political parties is needed for the stability of the country”.

Khalid Junejo (Jiay Sind Mahaz, Karachi): “What is the role of civil society in democracy? How can democracy provide human security? Unless the public participates fully in the working of democracy, it will not reap its full benefits. The government has failed in providing human security, the reason being that the security of the common man has never been high on the agenda. Some powers want to keep this system. Political parties and politicians should know that when people elect them they also have the right to criticize them. So they have to adopt democratic ways, actions and thinking. They have to be courageous not to become the yes men of bureaucracy”.

Mariam Paleejo (Sindhiani Tehreek, Hyderabad): “There is no security anywhere. On the one hand the country is under pressure from the sole super power and on the other hand no institution is without army interference. We are responsible for this situation because we tend to compromise. There are reasons why we are not independent: The politicians work against the voters in the assemblies. They keep silent over the policies that are detrimental for the public. Even for a sensitive issue such as water nobody speaks up. The youth are fed up with the politicians and the state. The army encourages unfair distribution of resources against provincial disagreements. The solution lies in raising awareness in the public and educating them”.

Zahida Sheikh (Sindhiani Tehrik, Hyderabad): “Security is not just breathing. Security will mean coming up to the standards of the developed nations. Here terrorists overtook the educational institutions so that the army could be called in. In Sindh it all started from Zia’s time. The education system is class-based. Education is currently the most paying industry. These institutions train the future bureaucrats. Civil society is made up of these public enemies. Those from the lower classes do not find a place in the civil society. They are afraid for their jobs’ security. Even places like Darul Aman do not provide security. Only those Nazims in the district governments get the funds who favour the government. The religious parties are established by the enemies of Islam. Sindh has always been the land of Sufis where religious tolerance was prevalent. Political parties have spread hatred and differences among people”.

Latif Mughat (Peoples Workers Union, Karachi): “As long as there is political instability, there will be economic instability. Lack of democracy in political parties leads to instability in politics and extremism in religious and linguistic groups. It is important to develop strong institutions. In the past, governments have always weakened political institutions. It is also the responsibility of the government to provide an environment that is good for the mental and physical well being of the people”.

Obaid ullah Bhutto (Jamiat e Ulema Sindh, Sangarh): “Security comes before democracy. From day one, the rift in the public was created in the name of religion and ordained as the basis of Pakistan. After the division between the Muslims and non-Muslims the religious parties followed policies based on sectarian divisions. Secondly, the religious and secular forces fought against each other. The elite gave powers to the army to secure its supremacy. Human security was unimportant for them. After consolidating their interests in the region, imperialism has sought to eliminate religious extremists. But then the same extremists were elected in the assemblies by the ruling elites to give the impression that they could not be eliminated because of the public mandate that they now enjoyed. So the assemblies, where one should talk about human rights, only make noises”.

Sheikh Majid (Poples Labour Bureau, Karachi): “Language differences and religion have caused the fragmentation of civil society in Pakistan. The question is: who are the financial and physical supporters of these forces? Unemployment is on the increase due to privatisation and downsizing. The militant groups employ the unemployed persons for terrorist activities. The jobless are not concerned with the political, religious or linguistic ideologies. They are ready to become tools in the hands of others so long as they get the money. Keeping their differences aside, political and other organizations must think together about how to control this situation. These are the reasons for lack of human security in Pakistan”.

Muqtade (Columnist Roznama Express, Karachi): “The issue of the South Asian labour in Iraq is serious. The labourers are often held hostages, especially the Indian and Pakistani labourers. Some Pakistanis were beaten. When they want to come back home they are not paid their dues. Their passports are confiscated and they suffer physical and mental abuse. The director, Pakistan Institute of Labor Education & Research (PILER) has written to General Musharraf and also to ILO (International Labour Organisation). At the end of this programme, we would like to pass a resolution asking for the freedom of these labourers who should be paid their dues and given their passports to enable them to go back to their homes”.

Faqir Hussain (Muttahida Labour Federation, Charsadda): “Privatisation has led to a closure of about 80 factories in our area. In Gadoon, the perks of the labourers are confiscated by force. Workers have been thrown out of their respective working units in order to destroy the labour unions. The daily-wagers run the same units now. The parliament, the judiciary and the media should be strengthened. The political parties should come out of their cocoon. The greatest issue is of provincial autonomy. Every political party must include it in its party manifesto. Every province should get the royalty on the income generated by its natural resources. I want to make the following recommendations:

We need to make the institutions more democratic. Similarly, the political parties need to promote democratic values and traditions”.

Muqtade (Columnist Roznama Express, Karachi): “Our society is not aware of the democratic values. Democracy is not just akin to casting a vote. Democracy needs a change in thinking and establishing a tradition of tolerance. The Media in Pakistan is under control. It cannot tell the public the real facts. If any critical material is printed, that paper becomes the target of the government wrath. Agencies also work in a similar way, treating any criticism with oppression and cruelty. Though a non-tribal nation lives in Karachi it has become a tribal area. We must reduce the element of fear and mobilize the civil society to fight for its rights and show its reaction concerning various issues. We may talk about democracy but we do not practise it”.

Hasam Athar (Qaumi Jamhoori Party, Karachi): “The media should highlight the problems of the public by printing news about them but it only gives news about the jihadi organizations, because these are strong organizations, and if the print media does not write about them, it becomes their victim. You can judge the level of insecurity by one incident. One jihadi organization killed 14 members of the opposite sect. The murderers were caught red-handed but they also murdered the lawyers who were pleading the case against them. Later a panel of 14 lawyers was set up but nobody was ready to take up the case due to fear for their life. We talk of killings of Muslims in India. Here Muslims are killing Muslims. Our socialist and secular parties do not raise their voice at the killings”.

Momen Khan (Qaumi Jamhoori Party, Hyderabad): “The student organizations have all along played a significant role in politics. Wherever students joined political parties, they played a positive role. But during the Zia period, the political parties made the student organizations fight against each other. Now the youth neither lead any movement nor shows any reaction against injustice and cruelty. In the past, there was a forum for the expression of their reaction but not any more. The leadership has appropriated the right to make decisions. The workers are only there to follow orders. The leaders do not want the public to develop leadership qualities. Secondly, the political parties have limited their circle of activity by creating various wings. For example, the labour wing can only talk about the labour issue. Similarly, the workers are not supposed to decide policies about the international issues”.

Aslam Kwaja (Pakistan Social Forum, Karachi): “There are two basic issues: the structure of the state and its class character. The Centre runs the nations without consulting them. These nations should be asked again whether they want to be a part of the federation or not? We must think seriously if we want a democratic system of government. Pakistan needs a new constituent assembly to make a new constitution. Article 6 of the present constitution prescribes the death penalty for abrogation of the constitution, though this has never been done up till now. The suggestion is that in the new constitution the nations will have the right to separate from the Centre in case of abrogation or suspension of the constitution”.

Ayub Tareen (Centre of Peace and Development, Quetta): “With reference to democracy, the politicians, trade unions and media have a part to play. It is a fact that the role of the media has been disappointing. One could not only complain about the army. When the politicians were in power, they used the media for their own purposes. They try to buy over the journalists and make them agents to carry on propaganda against their opponents. They make the journalists write articles in their favour. This is disgraceful. After 9/11 the Taliban settled in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan and threatened the journalists daily. When a newspaper reported about the tragedy of Quetta one religious organization started threatening the newspapers. So much so that the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) closed its office and opened an office at a secret place. In other words, the journalists work under fear. The political parties claim to be democratic but they never accept criticism. They bribe the journalists so that the latter write in favour of the government and close their eyes to the public issues. Journalism is considered the fourth pillar of the state. The journalists need training about democracy and human values. Since the political parties only want power and would do anything for it, NGOs and other institutions should take up the task of training journalists”.

Falak Naz (Aurat Foundation, Sukhar Sindh): “Whether these are social organizations or vocational associations nobody can do one’s work unless one is given security. If we start with the duties, we will find our rights as well but if we start by asking our rights, the tension emerges. No nation can make progress if people do not perform their duties. We have to change our attitudes in this regard”.

Buchal Khairpur: “How can we give security when the ground reality is against it? Even after getting a degree the youth of Pakistan get no jobs. Then the person becomes an addict or takes up robbery as profession. The children and women face oppression. Women are not given their inheritance. Thus without justice we cannot talk of security and it is the state’s responsibility to provide security to its citizens”.