Muhammad Ijaz PhD Scholar
Democracy is a mode of government through which representatives of public form a ruling class justified to the common people that “they” are their representatives due to their votes. Now these representatives will secure voter’s rights, public’s interest along with the interest of their state. First time democracy was introduced by the Aryians where they owned this mode of power in their judicial system. Later on, this concept of majority was owned by the Greeks during the selection of their ruling class. The first critique over it came from the Aristotle’s question over this mechanism that without education and awareness, how people can elect a “right man” as a ruler? From this question, democracy remained debatable in history and even today in third world countries generally.
Previous day, a great discussion took place in a wonderful gathering at the eve of Tariq Khosa’s book discussion at Oxford University Press in Lahore. No doubt Tariq Khosa’s book titled “The Faltering State” is a great work of him where he embedded his experience as a bureaucrat, sense of observation along with his intellectual argument. Discussion of the panel which was comprised of high intellectual minds of the state known as teacher of teachers, none of them was “Rasul Baksh Raees” along with Dr. Ali Cheema. From that discussion till today, a thought is stirring my mind that our state is facing so many problems in the form of non-traditional security threats which are considered as horrible for the existence of the state in the 21st century, particularly for states like Pakistan. After 9/11 the state security threats in the form of traditional security threats switched over from traditional to non-traditional. During previous century, international politics revolves around the traditional security threats and sates remained successful to large extent to minimize these threats, but at the same time rivalry-ship raised among states in the form of non-traditional security threats. To minimize the traditional security threats, credit goes to UNO, regional organizations, nuclear politics and inventions of traditional and conventional weapons. Due to all these mentioned factors traditional threats disappear for the states. Like other states, Pakistan also secured herself in previous century with the perspective of nuclear politics, traditional and conventional weapons, as a member of UNO and regional organizations like SCO, OIC and ECO etc, and having sixth largest army in the world. While at the same time, Pakistan became viable non-traditionally to the rivals.
Most disappointing and discouraging reflection from the Oxford University Press gathering’s discussions was a typical blame game over ruler’s techniques and a clash between democratic and bureaucratic mind set. Like politicians, our beloved retired and in-service bureaucrats are also unaware about the non-traditional security challenges and threats to our state via society. A traditional blame game is going on since 1947, when Quaid-e-Azam showed his distrust over politicians at the eve of formation of first cabinet and endorsed bureaucrats in it and justified his act saying that “he had false coins in his pocket”. From that time till today the discussion is going on that who is responsible for weak policies and mala fide administration. To answer this question, it is also said by Ex-Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar in his one of last days speech that “we (elite class and highest portfolio holder) are responsible of all bad deeds and creeds”. But now the problem is how we can solve this issue because we have almost all the ingredients of non-traditional security threats in our society, and it is time for all these threats that they can be cash out by our rivals against us.
This century is the century of non-traditional threats that are faced by the states through society because traditionally world politics is now secured due to above mentioned factors. When our rivals are unable to find out the loopholes of direct threats then they enjoy social’s issues like low literacy rate, high inflation, un-even socio-economic growth, high poverty ratio, health issues, human insecurity, food insecurity, ethnic resentments, sectarian existence, injustice, absence of fair play, weak judiciary, power gaps among the institutions, no ruling class priority regarding state interest, unawareness of common public about ruler’s deeds and creeds, hegemonic rule of elite class, priority of personal interest over national interest, weak writ of government, increasing role of non-state actors, implementation of constitution according to taste and will of the rulers and no right of citizens to get informed from it, in- fact “bloody civilians”. Finally these issues, which are existing in our society are problematic and are destabilizing the state. This obscurantism leads us towards the targets and objects of our rivals regarding us.
If we want to secure ourselves as a state and society from the threats of 21st century, then we have to give awareness to our people through education, because without support of common people we can’t secure ourselves even being a nuclear country and strong state with the perspective of non-traditional security threats. The best example of it is the breakdown of USSR even being a nuclear and super power but that was problematic due to above mentioned concerns. Now, time is up regarding blame game that who is responsible for previous deeds and creeds? Time is how we can save our people from the existing problems. The first thing from where we can start this mission is education. Educate the 25 million Pakistani children who are out of school boundary so that in near future they will be able to turn the “Mobocracy” into true form of “Democracy”, from “The Faltering State” to “Developed State” that can stand over equal rights and privileges. Without education our state will be considered as a “Faltering State” by our bureaucracy, but after retirement they even prove themselves as patriotic men in self-exile and left the “bloody civilians” on circumstances.
