Why people should not know!
By Rana Rizvi
Senator Iqbal Haider has pointed out in an article published in Karachi’s Urdu Jang that the present government of Mian Nawaz Sharif lacks the courage to bring any drastic and fruitful changes in the economy and politics of the country.
He pointed out that the present government has been committed to accept all the anti-people policies of the care-takers and has announced that the constitutional reforms package (of October 1994) will not be taken up nor the eighth amendment will be scrapped. He further said that the majority as apparent is not the real majority and Mian Nawaz Sharif is afraid of “the hidden forces.” In the country who can turn this majority into a minority any time?
There is no denial to what he has said but the question arises why these “hidden forces” remain unknown although everyone in the ruling parties, including Mr. Haider knows about them. According to the statements of the leaders from time to time these hidden hands are the real culprits who have destroyed the parliamentary system, political stability, economic infrastructure and are responsible for our present conditions. All the government and political high-ups complain about this hidden hand. PPP has also been complaining that there was a conspiracy against the Peoples Party government and the parliamentary system in the country by the hidden forces.
What then prevents, Mr. Haider or the Peoples Party to continue hiding the “hidden forces.”
We have a democratic setup, a parliament is elected and a government is installed which is obeyed as the lawful authority and which frame policies. But there are certain powers which can play havoc with everything. Elections are engineered and rigged, law and order situation is created, conspirators, and renegades are given shelter and everything is done to generate anarchy at a given time. Why it is not possible for the leaders and the governments to announce the names of such people at least, at a given time. Why do such set of person using their influence against democracy and the people are not brought to face the people? At least their names can be openly proclaimed against those persons, demonstrations and sit arranged and social boycott effect. Only courage and a daring attitude are required. Bureaucracy can be turned to be ineffective. The army can be asked not to interfere in politics as they have already been claiming to be neutral. Traders, businessmen, and industrialists can be tamed to comply with the policies in the interest of the nation. Interests of workers and peasants upheld at all costs. Foreign countries can be denied any opportunity to topple an elected government. A democratically elected government should be ensured to complete its term. Why all this cannot be done? All know and point out the damage done by the “hidden hands,” but come what may, left the nation clearly about the hidden hands, about who is working against an elected government and the people.
Let Mian Nawaz Sharif lacks courage as asserted by Mr. Haider because he is afraid to lose power, but why not the PPP and other parties who are out of power can tell the people who is real reigning power!
Senator Haider asked for nullifying the 8th amendment. In fact, our constitution needs much more changes. To make Pakistan a modern state, it is necessary that the people of the country are declared as sovereign. The constitution should be changed to democratic republic. It should be secular. We cannot shoulder the responsibilities in the coming century unless we get rid of our religious mysticism. Our problems cannot be solved without making the country secular only through which the constitution can be made a democratic and progressive one. If we want to survive, we will have to implement democracy in its real spirit!
