By:
Ullah, Inam Gul. iukhan233@gmail.com
No sane person can deny the veracity that Pakistan’system of governance, state institutions, political landscape and social
structure are infested with numerous visible and even invisible ills, and It
would certainly be cliché to make
mention of them here. However one thing is widely agreed upon by all the stake
holders of the system that change is inevitable and the monolith of the status
quo must be defeated. But how to achieve that end? Is indeed a question worth
deeming. Over the years both the civvies and the Khakhi clad unfolded their
reform packages, but none proved triumphant. Among the civilian leadership the
two major political parties i.e PPP and PMLN mostly remained on the seat of
power. Their immaturity of the 90s finally taught them to form and observe a
political culture and work for their goals. However, with the emergence of PTI as the third major political force of the
country, Pakistan’s political culture underwent drastic changes.
A superficial observation yields that PTI introduced
cricket terminology into politics. The Westminster jargons gave place to the
terminology common to a cricket team such as wicket fallen, third empire, clean
bold, run out and playing at both sides of the wicket. However, these are
benign ones as compared to a score of other trends set by the PTI into the
politics.
Political pluralism and differences of opinion are
the values seem alien to the array of PTI. Their own version of reality
constructs a regime of truth which they are hell bent on promoting and
propagating as a final word. Their discourse denies any room to counter views
and multiplicity of opinions. A view runs counter to their discourse is
definitely deemed as a denial of a universal truth.
The PTI behaves more a cult revolving around the
personality of its chairman than a political party. People other than PTI’s
chairman are dubbed as corrupt, incompetent and neither deserve to represent
public nor eligible for holding any public office. But interestingly when the
so called corrupt and incompetent turncoats join the PTI, their sins automatically
get washed and character reformed. Today most of the PTI’s key leaders, who
symbolize righteousness and piety, used to be the once corrupt figures of other
parties in the living memory. But when someone one abandons loyalty, turns to
be the worst traitor and deadly apostate. Not only he, but his/her family
members, who have no concern with politics, are dragged in to the controversy
and lambasted. The treatment meted out to Ayesha Gulalai and her sister the
legend Torpekai by the PTI’s supporters on the social media is enough an
example. In fact both the sisters deserve kudos and encouragement because they
came up from a backward area with a dominant patriarchal social order. But they
way they were treated speaks volumes of the PTI’s approach and mindset, and a
clarion call for others to be ready for such a farewell when they intend to join
another political party.
Other political parities of Pakistan cannot be
exempted from Violation of the social norms and use of inappropriate and
unparliamentarily language but it is the PTI which took it to new heights and
made it an appropriate thing in the field of politics. The use of abusive
language by the PTI supporters against their political opponent has exceeded
the limits that can be tolerated. The opponent have been in the line of verbal
fire since 2013, however, a more modern and updated version emerged in Ayesha
Gulalai’s episode. The posts by the PTI’s youth could never be viewed by any
sensible person.
The youth of the party is trained in such a manner
that casting slur upon their opponents, calling their character and moral
standing into question, and leveling allegations without any proof is their
fundamental and constitutional right and will take them ahead in their
political ambition. The nature of allegation is sometimes so serious which
makes one doubt their sanity. For instance after the December 16 incident of
APS Peshawar, it was posted by a PTI worker that in order to divert public attention
from the PTI’s dharna, Nawaz Shairf asked Indian to attack the APS.
Making personal attack on members of other parties and hurling at them the
slangs of corrupt, thief, traitor and agent of foreign countries are things
much in vogue their circles.
strange enough is their political modus operandi for
getting to the seat of power i.e premiership. No wonder the system of election
is vulnerable to a number of irregularities and is in want of reforms, yet it
is the agreed means leading to the seat of power. The election process was so
discredited which led to the loss of public trust in the process. Efforts were
made to show that no one can win without rigging the election in his favor and
every elected member is aided by the dishonest means and rigging. But
interestingly the unfair means and rigging occurred only in the constituencies
where the PTI’s candidates have lost election, whereas the constituencies they
have won are above such sort of suspicion. They don’t hesitate to resort to any
means which can prove instrumental in toppling the government and help them
secure power, even favor military to interfere but make the slot premiership
free so that they have a chance to reach there.
A democratic political system provides for the treasury and the opposition, as
the two integral parts of the system, however, as the PTI’s political
disposition reflects, the concept of opposition is something rarely to be tolerated
in their political discourse. A critical analysis of their discourse shows no space
for accommodating opposition view point, and acknowledging existence of other
political entities in the system but whatever they do and say are deemed as
something final and above questions. The disposition shows a tendency towards a
single party system with no opposition.
An critical observation reflects that PTI has indeed
added new dimensions to Pakistan’s political culture. The developments show a
departure from pluralism to absolutism, from accommodating of multiple parties
with their diverse views and providing a space to the opposition, to a single
party with one point agenda i.e securing the seat of premiership. More interestingly
leveling of allegations against their political opponents without any proper
grounds and excessive use of unparliamentary language have become tools of
advancement in the field of politics.
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Political
issues of Pakistan.
SOCIAL
ISSUES.
CRITICAL
CURRENT ISSUES
Categories:
political culture
political history of Pakistan.
political parties in Pakistan
politics in pakistan
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