This is an important week for Pakistanis. On Thursday, we will vote in federal and local elections across the country where the future of our democracy will be at stake. We are not the only country facing such a moment this year. National elections are held in more than 60 countries, representing almost half of the world’s population.
But I suspect that millions of voters around the world are wondering, as I do, whether they believe in the promise of democracy anymore. Pakistan could not get this right. Next door to India, the world’s largest democracy, elections in the coming months are likely to further expand the control of Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. And in the United States, where voting will take place in November, Donald Trump is once again on the rise. The world is in a state of chaos and instability, with devastating conflicts erupting in Gaza and Ukraine, in part because of the chaos in modern political processes and the short-sighted leaders who take advantage of them. is.
Pakistanis have been suffering from these sentiments for decades. In 1977, when I was a young girl, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was ousted in a military coup that plunged the country into dictatorship and martial law. Mr. Bhutto was hanged two years later, but the darkness of that day has never left me – eerily empty streets, block letters on the front pages of newspapers proclaiming it a “Dark Day.” That’s what I did. His military rule finally ended in 1988, followed by her ten years of often politically turbulent but welcome democratic rule, followed by another period of military dictatorship. . Although the democratic experiment resumed in 2008, we are shocked by repeated and blatant thefts of power.
And here we are again.
Thursday’s election will proceed without popular former prime minister Imran Khan, who was convicted last week on suspected charges of leaking state secrets and corruption (he was sentenced to 10 and 14 years in prison, respectively). When he was elected in 2018, Khan promised to free Pakistan from corrupt dynastic politics. However, his term ended after four years in much the same manner as previous periods of democratic rule. The United States turned a blind eye while the government it elected was removed from power.
Mr Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), faces tough electoral challenges in this week’s elections, including an authoritarian crackdown on party members. Former PTI figures must now run as independent candidates. The Supreme Court even banned the party from using the cricket bat, a popular election symbol. (Mr. Khan was a national cricket hero before turning to politics.)
So we go to vote this week with a sense of regret and emptiness. Pakistanis, especially young people voting for the first time, are asking themselves why they would vote for politicians who appear to have no other purpose than to seize power and use it against their opponents.
There is a heavy atmosphere everywhere in the city. Propaganda and campaigning have been quieter, with far fewer political songs, flags, banners and other decorations used in past elections. These provided at least some excitement and a festive atmosphere to break up the often chaotic and stressful lives of so many of Pakistan’s 245 million people.
The electoral gloom coincides with the existential difficulties faced by Pakistan. An economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and unemployment poses further challenges for a country already struggling to house, educate and provide adequate health care in the world’s fifth most populous country. is becoming even more serious.
The interim government installed after Khan’s ouster has announced almost daily its determination to maintain a peaceful electoral process. The army was called in, schools were closed for eight days, and authorities denied rumors that social media and internet access would be cut off. But there is still palpable tension, low morale, and the inevitable question: What is this election all about?
Since my college days in the United States, I have discussed the idea of democracy with concerned former classmates. Some people like me come from countries where the cycle of democracy and dictatorship is well known. Some Americans are wary of what the U.S. election portends. For as long as we can remember, Western countries have been selling Pakistan that democracy is superior to all other political systems. But in the United States, President Trump’s inauguration and the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, left us scratching our heads and wondering: Are Pakistanis trying to become more democratic like the United States? , or are Americans inadvertently, carelessly becoming less democratic, just like the rest of us?
In past Pakistani elections, including when Mr. Khan was elected in 2018, excitement has always been at a fever pitch, despite the knowledge that Western-style democracy was probably not going to happen. Nothing can be achieved today other than the strange hybrid civilian-military leadership we currently have, which is always in danger of some force emerging and obliterating democracy. This idea is becoming more widespread.
Democracy is far better than outright fascism or authoritarianism. Still, perhaps we are reaching a point where countries are evaluating how effective American-style democracy really is for them, and whether it is a panacea for all cultures and national conditions. Maybe. We have seen the flaws in democracy and how they are used to undermine democratic institutions themselves.
Pakistan’s elections are characterized by voter fraud, political horse-trading, and corruption. No matter who wins, they will inevitably be disappointed because they will always be more focused on maintaining power than serving the people. A healthy democracy looks more and more like El Dorado out of reach with every election.
However, despite this situation, it is difficult to completely let go of the idea of democracy. So the train continues on its way through Pakistan, picking up hopeful new passengers along the way. This election saw a sharp increase in the number of registered voters, 44% of whom are under 35, and an increase in the number of female candidates.
So we’re going to vote this week, with a glimmer of hope that someday something might change. This year, voters around the world will be reminded that their voices matter. But Pakistan is still waiting for proof that someone is listening.