I had the good luck of attending a seminar on “The Concept of Parliamentary Democracy and Federalism”, organized by the Senate Chairman Mr Raza Rabbani in connection with the Constitution Day celebrations. The present constitution—Pakistan’s third— was adopted on April 12, 1973, and it is fiercely argued that as the likes of Khan Wali Khan, Sardar Ghaus Bakhsh Bizinjo, Professor Abdul Ghafur, Mufti Mahmood and Sardar Shaukat Hayat had joined hands with Z.A. Bhutto to frame and pass this constitution, it has become the pillar on which the Federation of Pakistan stands. This argument was passionately put forth in practically all the speeches delivered in this seminar. Mahmood Khan Achakzai went as far as to declare that any attempt on the part of anyone to act in defiance of this constitution would be regarded as issuance of ‘NOC’ to the federating units to go their own way. The Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani went a step further. “Himalayas will weep and the floods cansed by their tears will sweep away the Federation into history”, said he after advancing an impassioned case for the consolidation of “the package of ethnicity, language and cultural diversity” as the fundamental characteristic of each autonomous province.
Earlier Hamid Mir had argued in a crusading spirit that the voices in favour of ‘shifting to Presidential system’ were sponsored by the forces which were keen to derail democracy.
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan in his narrative chose to declare that the ‘brutal’ military action against Bengalis had already caused Pakistan’s dismemberment. While advancing this familiar narrative, he conveniently ignored the fact that his beloved “Bhutto Shaheed” regarded as the greatest champion of democracy had not only endorsed the ‘despised’ brutal military action, but also had served as Deputy Prime Minister under General Yahya Khan.
To me this whole exercise of ‘celebrating’ the 1973 Constitution seems to have been triggered by the dark clouds gathering in the political skies of Pakistan over ‘the heads’ that are very very afraid of rolling sooner than their worst fears.
There are ominous indications that all may not be well for the forces which regard the rule of ‘the elected oligarchs’ as the only true democracy.
What has 1973 Constitution given us ? Two Martial Law regimes ? Two ruling families whose love of democracy has catapulted them to the orbit of monumental riches —?
And misgovernance that has no parallel in the world. What else —?
Let Himalayas weep Mr Raza Rabbani. Pakistan will not be swept away.
