Politics is all about Governance and Legislation. Just as Medical Science is all about Health and its preservation. And Engineering is all about Construction, Machines and Power Production. Let me admit that I am indulging in oversimplification here. Each field of knowledge mentioned above covers countless other areas which are equally important but the purpose of summing it up in simple terms here is that just as Medical Science and Engineering happen to be specialized subjects, requiring extensive knowledge of proven and certified dimensions, Politics too falls in the domain of knowledge-acquisition and special expertise. For example Governance requires knowledge of all areas of human activity plus competence and ability to lead in each of these areas. And legislation requires ability to comprehend the need of the laws that either already exist or are desired to be made.
In our country quite unfortunately we have adopted a form of governance in which anyone with resources to invest in the process of vote-getting can gleefully declare himself or herself a Politian who can participate in both ‘Governance’ and ‘Legislation’.
This is a form that Britain had adopted centuries back through Magna Carta which made room for the rich and regionally powerful oligarchs to enjoy some share of governance with the king.
The reason our Quaid was inclined to dump this system of elected oligarchy in favour of a much more democratic system that America had adopted (in which people elected their leaders through direct vote and the role of the Congress was confined to Legislation only) was that he very sagaciously anticipated that the powerful regional families would enjoy monopolistic control over not only all power but also all resources.
The Quaid didn’t live long enough to make a constitution of his choice, and the country fell into the hands of a ‘coterie’ of politicians whose only pretense to POLITICS was their lust for power and its benefits.
The consequences are known to all of us. Our Democracy today is like a Mother whose womb can deliver only the likes of Nawaz, Zardari, Gilani, Raja Pervez Asharaf and Khaqan Abbasi. Infact the last-named three are mere proxies of the first two who have jointly dominated the political scene for over three decades. Ironically the Dictatorial Rule in between, of General Pervez Musharraf, was perceived as a gust of some fresh air.
Pakistan does need a change of Leadership. But more importantly it needs a change of governing system.
All Chiefs, whether at National level or Regional level, or District level or City level need to be elected directly by the people. And the Legislators are to be only legislators.
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