Do we really need democracy in Pakistan?

[Shot-Caller]

Pakistan is a country that has faced a lot of different problems like terrorism,corruption,military coups etc. Growing up I was lead to believe that the only way for Pakistan to survive is to have democracy. I am talking about the time when Musharraf was in power 05-06. Every time I heard big political leaders of that time they kept saying jamhooriyat(democracy) is our life line and aamirz(dictators) are taking the country to destruction.

Keeping the situation of that time in mind when there were suicide blasts every second day, prices were hiking up suddenly, power failures were so common it was frustrating, I thought may be these leaders are right. May be democracy is the only way. Now the elections of 2008 were emotionally charged after benazir's assassination. So the democracy was finally brought back. Now when I look at it 8 years later, I think to myself was it really democracy that we needed? We did need a change that's for sure but I don't know if it really was democracy.

If we listen to today's politicians they say democracy in this country is not strong enough. Give it time. I think it was them who did not let democracy get strengthened. Because if it does get strengthened, they won't be able to get away with all the corruption. I see Indians making fun of our system and taking pride in their democracy, But is our democracy really worth taking pride in?

I don't think democracy with currently available political options is our solution. Can we go for a better system which suits us?

 

[Village life]

Pakistan is a country that has faced a lot of different problems like terrorism,corruption,military coups etc. Growing up I was lead to believe that the only way for Pakistan to survive is to have democracy. I am talking about the time when Musharraf was in power 05-06. Every time I heard big political leaders of that time they kept saying jamhooriyat(democracy) is our life line and aamirz(dictators) are taking the country to destruction.

Keeping the situation of that time in mind when there were suicide blasts every second day, prices were hiking up suddenly, power failures were so common it was frustrating, I thought may be these leaders are right. May be democracy is the only way. Now the elections of 2008 were emotionally charged after benazir's assassination. So the democracy was finally brought back. Now when I look at it 8 years later, I think to myself was it really democracy that we needed? We did need a change that's for sure but I don't know if it really was democracy.

If we listen to today's politicians they say democracy in this country is not strong enough. Give it time. I think it was them who did not let democracy get strengthened. Because if it does get strengthened, they won't be able to get away with all the corruption. I see Indians making fun of our system and taking pride in their democracy, But is our democracy really worth taking pride in?

I don't think democracy with currently available political options is our solution. Can we go for a better system which suits us?

 

[Skyliner]

Pakistan is a country that has faced a lot of different problems like terrorism,corruption,military coups etc. Growing up I was lead to believe that the only way for Pakistan to survive is to have democracy. I am talking about the time when Musharraf was in power 05-06. Every time I heard big political leaders of that time they kept saying jamhooriyat(democracy) is our life line and aamirz(dictators) are taking the country to destruction.

Keeping the situation of that time in mind when there were suicide blasts every second day, prices were hiking up suddenly, power failures were so common it was frustrating, I thought may be these leaders are right. May be democracy is the only way. Now the elections of 2008 were emotionally charged after benazir's assassination. So the democracy was finally brought back. Now when I look at it 8 years later, I think to myself was it really democracy that we needed? We did need a change that's for sure but I don't know if it really was democracy.

If we listen to today's politicians they say democracy in this country is not strong enough. Give it time. I think it was them who did not let democracy get strengthened. Because if it does get strengthened, they won't be able to get away with all the corruption. I see Indians making fun of our system and taking pride in their democracy, But is our democracy really worth taking pride in?

I don't think democracy with currently available political options is our solution. Can we go for a better system which suits us?

Sir will you please elaborate what other systems you are pointing out here.
It's pretty obvious you are a supporter of dictatorship, but have a courage to say it straight away.
Can you please point out which country is having a dictatorship and is successful.

 

[Village life]

We do not need full fledge democracy, because democracy in its ideal oriented form evolves in hundreds of years or in many decades. In the current global scenario we do not have this time to let democracy evolve, if we opt for full fledge democracy it will be like fitting a fifth generation engine in second world war plane ,we have tried this since last 8y years which resulted into a Trembling and shattering the whole country,because we lack in education which is a must for democracy to evolve, we need a controlled democracy for short-term I.e for a decade or two than go for full fledge democracy. We have seen this type democracy successfully adopted by many countries to prosper and to safe guard their national interests, like in Russia. Iran,turkey in past,Uzbekistan, Tajikistan in recent and to some extent in some other countries, which resulted in the stability and development of all those countries despite the masve efforts made by global resource hunter countries to detrack them.we are facing similar situation the western and American interested are best served by the corrupte politicians ,so they always support them and cry for them and even threat the nations of sanctions if some thing happens to their puddle democracy, mean while these Anglo American establishments support monarchs in middle East because they serve best to their interest, what a contrast and duplicacy.hence we need a controlled democracy or a hybrid democracy

 

[Pakistanisage]

Democracy has totally failed the people of Pakistan.

 

[Shadowknife]

Pakistan needs a unique system to address its needs. A bit of everything.

 

[Tshering22]

Pakistan is a country that has faced a lot of different problems like terrorism,corruption,military coups etc. Growing up I was lead to believe that the only way for Pakistan to survive is to have democracy. I am talking about the time when Musharraf was in power 05-06. Every time I heard big political leaders of that time they kept saying jamhooriyat(democracy) is our life line and aamirz(dictators) are taking the country to destruction.

Keeping the situation of that time in mind when there were suicide blasts every second day, prices were hiking up suddenly, power failures were so common it was frustrating, I thought may be these leaders are right. May be democracy is the only way. Now the elections of 2008 were emotionally charged after benazir's assassination. So the democracy was finally brought back. Now when I look at it 8 years later, I think to myself was it really democracy that we needed? We did need a change that's for sure but I don't know if it really was democracy.

If we listen to today's politicians they say democracy in this country is not strong enough. Give it time. I think it was them who did not let democracy get strengthened. Because if it does get strengthened, they won't be able to get away with all the corruption. I see Indians making fun of our system and taking pride in their democracy, But is our democracy really worth taking pride in?

I don't think democracy with currently available political options is our solution. Can we go for a better system which suits us?

Why not try Singaporean form of democracy?

IMO it is the perfectly balanced form of governance.

There is a PM but till his tenure is complete, the PM is the god.

The opposition cannot do dirty politics like the way politicians in the countries of Subcontinent do. They'd be arrested and thrown in jails right away.

I am a big supporter of authoritative form of democracy where tenures are longer, accountability is stronger and the national leaders have enough power to make strong decisions for the country without being hounded by unruly opposition.

 

[Zibago]

We need true democracy where rule of law is followed and all are equal before law not this oligarchy

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Why not try Singaporean form of democracy?

IMO it is the perfectly balanced form of governance.

There is a PM but till his tenure is complete, the PM is the god.

The opposition cannot do dirty politics like the way politicians in the countries of Subcontinent do. They'd be arrested and thrown in jails right away.

I am a big supporter of authoritative form of democracy where tenures are longer, accountability is stronger and the national leaders have enough power to make strong decisions for the country without being hounded by unruly opposition.

There are some problems that can be stringed with that form of government. What if that PM turns out to be a horrible one?

 

[Verve]

Iranian model is interesting. Supreme Court and Army could decide on 2-3 suitable candidates for PM/President who then brings in a team of technocrats that be been vetted for merit and security by other institutions.

This type of democracy where PM has ultimate power will not work in Pakistan. We need a system that allows all institutions to share power to shape policy and work together in total harmony.

 

[Gandhi]

As always, the real people gets impacted because of people protesting and fermenting the daily life.

Tech people are well integrated with Rajasthan, Bangalore and other states and working against all the adversities created by troublemakers.

Proud of such Bharatiya.

------------article as published in ET--------
The tricky state of running business in Kashmir

On a cold morning in June this year, 39-year-old Sheikh Imtiyaz woke up around 4 am and stepped out for a walk. That morning, Imtiyaz walked from Baramulla to Srinagar — a distance of 52 kms in ten hours.

Imtiyaz, a director with Comtech Info Solutions, an IT solution provider for e-governance projects in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, wasn’t looking for exercise. Comtech was bidding for a contract for smart cards worth about Rs 1.5 crore, a curfew had been imposed in the Valley — and Imtiyaz had to be there in person.

Overcoming obstacles like these is nothing new to Imtiyaz, who started the company in 1997 along with his wife Rukhsana Imtiyaz to cater to digitization projects for the state election department. Today, the company has more than 1,000 employees spread across Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Delhi. But there is nothing like business as usual in the state.

Imtiyaz’s employees, most of them women, often stay back at night to complete projects whenever a curfew is imposed. “There have been times when most of my employees have stayed back in office for seven nights consecutively to get the work done while we provided them with food and basic amenities,” Imtiyaz told ET.

Imtiyaz isn’t alone. Across the Valley, tech entrepreneurs share stories of battling extraordinary odds, apathy and adversity every day. The Kashmir valley has been on the boil since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. As protesters took to the streets, the government responded by cutting off mobile internet and imposing curfews. Industry bodies have pegged business losses due to the shutdowns at over Rs 10,000 crore.

“Projects are delayed and payments are not coming on time. Without basic facilities like internet, phone lines, I am not able to send crucial documents to my Bengaluru team,” says 42-year-old Samir Ahsan Shah, director of Infinity Access group, a Srinagar-based system integrator. Shah says that project costs have gone up projects costs by 30% — since the shutdown in the valley began in 2015. The IT industry in Kashmir employs about 15,000 people.

Some entrepreneurs like Shameem Shah, who heads Srinagar-based LeLafe IT Solutions, have asked most of their employees to work from home to avoid the hassles of a security lock down. “We help them by providing infrastructure like power backup and extra lease lines so that work is not interrupted,” says Shah.

Living with shutdowns is nothing new for Srinagar-based Shahid Haider Ansari, director of Zenataur Creative Systems. Back in 2001, the attack on the Indian Parliament led to the closure of Ansari’s first company, Webstar Software Solutions in 2003. “After the attacks, the situation was tense here. One fine day, when I came to office, I found out internet and phone lines are not working,” said Ansari.

That situation continued for six months and Ansari had to shut down his company as his team could not respond to emails or take client calls during that time. Ansari had to let go off his employees after paying their salaries from his own pocket.

Despite these challenges, business executives who interact with the Kashmiri IT industry say that it is possible for the industry to continue functioning. “During the times when there is a curfew on online services and connectivity, mirror sites across India through channel partners can remain open and therefore business can continue without massive interruptions,” says Mehul Lanvers-Shah, managing director, Hannover Milano Fairs India, whose company organizes trade fares globally, some of which have had participants from the Valley.

In spite of these difficulties, valley-based entrepreneurs say that they will still try and conduct business. “We want to help the youth of Kashmir who were going nowhere. The only way to bring peace back in the valley is by making the state an economically viable destination for business entities,” says Ansari.

 

[Baba Google]

Pakistan is a country that has faced a lot of different problems like terrorism,corruption,military coups etc. Growing up I was lead to believe that the only way for Pakistan to survive is to have democracy. I am talking about the time when Musharraf was in power 05-06. Every time I heard big political leaders of that time they kept saying jamhooriyat(democracy) is our life line and aamirz(dictators) are taking the country to destruction.

Keeping the situation of that time in mind when there were suicide blasts every second day, prices were hiking up suddenly, power failures were so common it was frustrating, I thought may be these leaders are right. May be democracy is the only way. Now the elections of 2008 were emotionally charged after benazir's assassination. So the democracy was finally brought back. Now when I look at it 8 years later, I think to myself was it really democracy that we needed? We did need a change that's for sure but I don't know if it really was democracy.

If we listen to today's politicians they say democracy in this country is not strong enough. Give it time. I think it was them who did not let democracy get strengthened. Because if it does get strengthened, they won't be able to get away with all the corruption. I see Indians making fun of our system and taking pride in their democracy, But is our democracy really worth taking pride in?

I don't think democracy with currently available political options is our solution. Can we go for a better system which suits us?

Sir g, we need democracy but not the one we currently have in our country. Do not look at west for a moment, bohat sarey log mere saath disagree kareingey but porey world ko democracy di hi Islam nay hai, goron ney toh sirf refine kiya hai democracy ko.

If you look 1400 or so years back:

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the only one, democratically elected by the ummah, he never wanted khilafat at that time but ummah chose him as their Caliph so he had no other choice but to lead.

Also read why Hasan Ibn Ali signed peace treaty with Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan. Reasons and conditions.

You should also read why Hussain Ibn Ali was marching towards Kufa when he was stopped at Karbala by the Aamir's (Dictator) army (L.A)

So yes, democracy is the way to go, is a gift to us from Islam, from Ahlul Bayt but still we fail to even realize it.

We just need to create a better democratic system thats all, remember we are living in 21st century now so we have the resources.

Please note, My intention was not to offend anyone in any way, but to point out some known facts unknown to most of our ppl in Pakistan.

 

[Shot-Caller]

Ok before replying post to post I want to say that most of us have an agreement that the current form of democracy is not doing our country any good. There needs to be a change. May be biometric voting? Or better political choices for the voters. Or both.

Sir will you please elaborate what other systems you are pointing out here.
It's pretty obvious you are a supporter of dictatorship, but have a courage to say it straight away.
Can you please point out which country is having a dictatorship and is successful.

I am not pro dictatorship my friend. If you read my post again I have not stated anywhere that dictatorship was an ideal form of government. Neither is the current form of democracy. That is why I am welcoming suggestions of different forms of successful government in the world. Other that democracy and dictatorship.

Why not try Singaporean form of democracy?

IMO it is the perfectly balanced form of governance.

There is a PM but till his tenure is complete, the PM is the god.

The opposition cannot do dirty politics like the way politicians in the countries of Subcontinent do. They'd be arrested and thrown in jails right away.

I am a big supporter of authoritative form of democracy where tenures are longer, accountability is stronger and the national leaders have enough power to make strong decisions for the country without being hounded by unruly opposition.

If there is no opposition who keeps the PM in check? I don't think this form of government is any different than a dictatorship where all the power lies in hands of a single man and no one can question him.

We need true democracy where rule of law is followed and all are equal before law not this oligarchy

Sir g, we need democracy but not the one we currently have in our country. Do not look at west for a moment, bohat sarey log mere saath disagree kareingey but porey world ko democracy di hi Islam nay hai, goron ney toh sirf refine kiya hai democracy ko.

If you look 1400 or so years back:

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the only one, democratically elected by the ummah, he never wanted khilafat at that time but ummah chose him as their Caliph so he had no other choice but to lead.

Also read why Hasan Ibn Ali signed peace treaty with Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan. Reasons and conditions.

You should also read why Hussain Ibn Ali was marching towards Kufa when he was stopped at Karbala by the Aamir's (Dictator) army (L.A)

So yes, democracy is the way to go, is a gift to us from Islam, from Ahlul Bayt but still we fail to even realize it.

We just need to create a better democratic system thats all, remember we are living in 21st century now so we have the resources.

Please note, My intention was not to offend anyone in any way, but to point out some known facts unknown to most of our ppl in Pakistan.

So you guys are for democracy but a refined one. See it takes long to get true democracy. Specially keeping in mind our current scenario. Can we wait that long? The world is far ahead of us and to compete we need instant changes. Is there any other way in your opinion or would you like to wait and let this democracy re-invent itself?

 

[Z-A-K]

no, i dont think we need democracy, here only the most populated herd gets the power, doesnt matter how un-educated, corrupt and disgusting it is to devastate the very foundation of our country.

 

[Shot-Caller]

no, i dont think we need democracy, here only the most populated herd gets the power, doesnt matter how un-educated, corrupt and disgusting it is to devastate the very foundation of our country.

Completely agree with you. The majority of voters has no sense of the power of his vote. That is why they sell their votes. So this type of democracy is destructive rather than being progressive for the country.