In 60 years we have had American rule. Back in the 60s Ayub Khan was afraid of being friends with China because he liked his American buddies. Zia ul Haq, the religious nutjob spent all his time taking dictates from the American embassy. Z. Bhutto spoke against America, he was overthrown by Zia and killed... The wikileaks on Pakistani leaders (like Nawaz, like Fazl, like Zardari) begging and pleading the former US ambassador, Anne Patterson, for US to give them more power in Pakistan is testament to this fact that there has not been any military or democratic rule in Pakistan but only American rule.
Zardari and every other elected representative is was voted by a voter turnout of 30% of the people the bulk of those people were those who live on vast territories owned by the Bhutto family. The proof is in the pudding. Just count how many elected representatives are massive landlords and how many of them come from an actual career?
Before you ask, Why don't the others vote? Voting booths are mired with gun violence and bomb threats. In places like Karachi where there is some semblance of control, there all the voters HAVE to vote for MQM. One of my relatives went to vote, they put the ink on her thumb and said "Bibi ji aapka vote hogaya, ab aap ghar jayen"...
This is an extremely stinking system on top of that America pours money into THAT. Zardari today has thugs that go to owers of every major business in Pakistan and collect hafta from them.
The change at the ballot box can only come once there is a realization in Pakistan that if you ignore democratic norms, the people will have none of it. It's high time we fought for democracy where there is actually some power to the people, not just to have one check box filled "Ok Pakistan conducts elections, so Pakistan is democratic". This is sloganeering for democracy without actually giving any benefit to the people.