Democracy in Pakistan: hopes and hurdles

1. Introduction

2. An Overview of Political History of Pakistan

Inception of Pakistan and initial problems

The game of musical chair during the first eleven years

Imposition of martial law by Ayub Khan

Separation of East Pakistan

Democratic Pakistan in the 70s

Overthrow of democratic government by General Zia-ul-Haq

Miracles of 58-2(b) in the 90s

Entry of Pervez Musharraf and partial restoration of democracy

Charter of democracy

Revival of democracy

3. Hopes Pertaining to Democracy in Pakistan at the Moment

 Very promising and high

4. Factors that Indicate Promising Future of Democracy in Pakistan 

A. Political Factors

 Emergence of new national-level political parties

Successful completion of democratic tenures in the last decade

Increasing political awareness among the masses

Improved voter turnout in 2013 elections

Responsible role of politicians

B. Social Factors

 Improving literacy rates

Increasing role of women in political, economic and social sectors

Presence of wide-awake and relatively independent media

Apparently more responsible role of judiciary

C. Administrative Factors

 Engagement of military in counterterrorism activities and on eastern border

More professional and cautious approach of military leadership

Revival of the institution of local government

 Improving situation of national integration

D. Economic Factors

CPEC-related projects and funds

Improving economic indicators

5. Hurdles in the Way of Democracy in Pakistan

 A. Political Hurdles

 Weak role of Election Commission of Pakistan

Absence of true democratic spirit in political parties

Lack of public interest in electoral process

Irresponsible and short-sighted role of opposition

B. Social Hurdles

Illiteracy and poverty

Class disparities and gaps

Backwardness of women

Irresponsible and motive-driven role of media

C. Administrative Hurdles

 Clash of institutions

Corrupt, unpatriotic and unprofessional role of bureaucracy

Inequitable development and growth

Poor performance of democratic governments

D. Economic Hurdles

 Deteriorating situation of economic growth

Persistently-rampant corruption

Increasing foreign debts

Destabilization of currency

6. Recommendations for the Best Handling of Hurdles

 a. Devising sharply-focused, meticulously-planned and thoroughly-integrated policies

b. Tapping of indigenous mineral, geographical and human resources to enhance the availability of funds
with the government

c. Unfaltering, inflexible and incorruptible role of judiciary

d. People-oriented, sharply-focused and highly- equitable performance of democratic governments

e. Strengthening of local government System, regular conduct of intra-party elections and holding of

political activities at educational institutes to promote new leadership

f. professionally mature, responsible and objective role of media

g.Initiation of scrupulously-designed poverty- alleviation programmes

h.Structural reforms, institutions buildings and use of technology for the eradication of corruption

I.Introduction of civil service reforms to improve the bureaucratic structure

7. Conclusion

1. Introduction
- What is democracy?
- A birdeye view of democracy and it's comparison
- Different democratic systems
2. History of Democracy in Pakistan
- Civil governments and disagreements
- Military Interventions and dismemberment of Pakistan
- Back on track since 2008 elections
- 2013 elections and emergence of third political power
- Current scenario
3. Importance of Democracy - Reasons
*Social and Political
- Gives people awareness about their rights
- Voice to weak people
- Representatives are aware of their responsibilities and duties
- Democratic values like freedom of expression, tolerance, pluralism, justice and equality prevail
- Freedom of expression leads to innovation through exchange of ideas
*Economic
- Political stability helps develop economy
- Presents better image to the world, helps in trade
- Can help to curb menaces like unemployment, poverty and illiteracy
4. Democracy in Pakistan: Hurdles
*Administrative
- Corruption and mismanagement
- Nepotism, Favoritism
- Red tapism
- Conflicts among provincial and federal governments
*Political
- Military interventions
- Political immaturity
- Self interests and conflicts
- No independent judiciary
*Social
- Masses not aware about power of their vote
- Votes are given based on ethnical or racial affiliations
- Feudals can influence the poor people for votes
*Religious
- Forgotten teachings of Islam
- Votes are given on basis of religious affiliations
- Religion is used by leaders and scholars to get votes
*Legal and Educational
- Laws are twisted by leaders for their self interests
- Leaders are not educated or trained enough
- Laymam is not educated about their rights
5. Hopes for Democracy in Pakistan: Suggestions
- Empowering Institutions
- No corruption
- Enchanced role of NAB
- No military interventions
- Educating masses about their rights and responsibilies (including politicians)
- Independent Judiciary
- Developing culture of democracy
- Political maturity
- Taking inspirations from the developed democracies of the world
- Taking inspirations from the teachings of Islam

6. Conclusion
- Pakistan is a young democracy
- It will get better with more time and trial and errors
- Need political will and everyone playing individual and collective roles to secure democratic Pakistan
- No power on earth can undo Pakistan

Introduction

Pakistan adopted, or we can say ‘inherited’, a democratic system of government at the time of the
partition of India. The phrase ‘the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ implies the rule or government of the
common masses within defined Islamic injunctions or boundaries. However, since the establishment of
Pakistan in 1947, democracy in Pakistan has remained in shambles until today.

In this article, we would shed some light on the factors that proved to be the potential impediments that
hampered the democracy from flourishing in Pakistan. Moreover, we will also analyze some positive
developments that are encouraging the progress of the democratic system in Pakistan.
Hurdles to Democracy in Pakistan

Let’s have a quick insight into the problems and hurdles that have impacted or are still impacting the
democracy in Pakistan. Below are the factors responsible for failing democracy in Pakistan:

Frequent Military Takeovers in the Past

Ask a layman about the most prominent reason behind the failure of democracy in Pakistan, his answer
would definitely hint at the frequent military coups in the country. Precisely, it was just by the end of the
first decade when the first martial law was imposed in Pakistan. Pakistan has spent several decades
under military rule; i.e. from 1958 to 1971, then from 1977 to 1988, and lastly from 1999 – 2008.

Democracy was in its nascent state when it suffered the first blow from dictatorship. By overthrowing
democratic governments, military dictators ruled scot-free even after the heinous crime of abrogating
the constitution. The military got a strong foothold in the country. Decisions were taken by a single
military dictator. The democratic concept of civilian supremacy was challenged. The state institutions
other than the military became impotent. Judiciary became ineffective, giving rise to lawlessness in the
country.

Thus, frequent military take-overs are one of the most prominent factors responsible for the poor state
of democracy in Pakistan.

Dynastic Politics

Dynastic politics or the rule of a few families over the whole country remained a serious problem in the
Pakistani democratic system. The descendants of the ruling elites continued to take it as their
prerogative or birthright to rule the country. The people from the grass-root level were never allowed to
enter politics. Thus, the real problems of ordinary people remain unaddressed by the elite class.

Our political system remained dominated by the landlords, who controlled and exploited a large chunk
of the population and grabbed votes. Ergo, the true essence of democracy where people elect the
leaders by choice is missing.

Illiteracy

In a democratic society, people make decisions for themselves. They choose their representatives who
then do legislation. Definitely, one needs to be well aware of his/her rights and literate enough to make
better decisions in a democratic society. But, in Pakistan, where the overall literacy rate stands at
around 58%, one can easily picture the grim situation of the democratic values in the country. Most of
the people are unaware of their rights and the role of the elected people. Hence, such people are always
exploited by those in power.

Furthermore, due to illiteracy, feudalism is also deeply entrenched in some parts of the country. The
feudal lords do not allow their subjects to get an education. Also, these subjects of the landlords, as
evident in most of the rural areas of Sindh and Baluchistan, are under compulsion to cast their votes
according to the wishes of their masters. Thus, real democratic culture and system remain elusive.

Economic Inequality
For thousands of years, philosophers and political leaders have always recognized that with the
presence of extreme economic inequality in a society, democracy cannot succeed. In an unequal society,
either the rich would oppress the poor and democracy would get transformed into an oligarchy, or the
masses would overthrow the rich as an aftermath of class struggle. Thus economic equality is essential
for democracy to flourish.

However, according to a report, the income and wealth inequality in Pakistan is from top to bottom.
Only 22 persons in the country have billions of wealth and reserves. The rest spend their life in hunger
and poverty. Thus, with such a wide gap between rich and poor, no democracy can succeed or bear the
desired fruits in Pakistan.

Division in Society

Similarly, when a society is divided by race, religion, sects, tribes, and clans, it becomes difficult for a
democracy to sustain. As democracy requires the masses to determine one common destiny, but with
the division among masses, people aim toward opposite future destinations. As Lincoln had rightly said,
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

However, in Pakistan, people are largely divided provincially, linguistically, and on the basis of sects,
tribes, and clans, this ultimately hinders democracy from succeeding because the whole divided nation
lacks a common destination. Thus, a united democracy is essential to the functioning of democracy.

Polarized Politics

The political structure and system in Pakistan are polarized to the hilt. People of Pakistan think first
linguistically, regionally, provincially, or ethnically; afterward, they consider themselves as Pakistani.
Such sort of division among the masses deeply impacts the democracy in Pakistan. The national interests
are largely compromised, as evident in the building dam’s controversies.

Furthermore, in Pakistan’s polarized political structure, a Punjabi speaking blindly supports a Punjabi
speaker, a Sindhi would side with Sindhi, a religious person would support a religious party, etc. Thus,
such divisions at the national level hamper the progress of democracy in Pakistan.

Biased Media

The role played by Pakistani media also hampers democracy from flourishing. Instead of highlighting the
major flaws and shortcomings of the prevailing democratic system in Pakistan or analyzing the
performance of the government, the media is busy supporting one or the other political party of its
interest. It distorts the fact or molds the ideas and beliefs of people in order to further the agenda of the
specific political party. Such practice is commonly observed as to how some prominent news channels
are siding with political parties.

When people are shown distorted facts, false pictures of the ground realities, it ultimately impacts the
overall democratic system.

Lack of Accountability of the Rulers

When people elect their representatives, the representatives are supposed to work and come up to the
expectations of the people. They are accountable for their acts to the public. However, in Pakistan, the
essential element of accountability is altogether missing from its democratic culture. The relationship
between the elected and the electors in Pakistan is considered as the relationship between the master
and its subjects, or of the rulers to the ruled.

When the element of accountability goes missing, corruption gets an open field to play. This is what is
happening in Pakistan. Not all, but most of the elected representatives indulge in corrupt practices as
evidenced by the cases highlighted in Panama scandals, wiki leaks, etc.

Thus, without an effective system or institutions of accountability, democracy remains impotent.

Weak State Institutions

In any democratic society, there are mainly three arms of the government; i.e. Legislature, executive and
Judiciary. Without a balance among these, no democratic society can deliver on its goals or flourish.

In the case of Pakistan, the major institutions of accountability, viz. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),
National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), etc. remains subservient to the
ruling government. The most common reason cited for this fact is, as the head of these institutions is
opted by the government itself, the whole institution remains impotent. Thus the weak institutional
setup remains ineffective to curb corrupt practices of the politicians like money-laundering etc. In the
end, democracy suffers.

The Democratic System in Pakistan is Getting Better

Though the democracy in Pakistan has suffered a lot in the past, yet there are some positive
indicators/developments that augur the flourishment of democracy. Below are the factors that make us
hope for the improvement of Pakistan’s democracy.

The decline in Military Intervention

Unlike the past where the military had frequently interfered in political affairs or imposed martial laws in
the country, there is a visible decline in military intervention in political affairs. For example, Pakistan
has witnessed a smooth transition of power in three democratic governments since 2008. It is for the
first time that three democratic governments have successfully completed their tenure. Civilian
supremacy is the essence of democracy, and this element is visible these days. The military
establishment is working in its constitutionally defined role. Thus, the lack of military intervention
heralds strengthening democracy in Pakistan.

Increasing Awareness in General Masses

It is due to the widespread use of social media, coupled with vibrant electronic and print media, that
people are becoming aware of their rights. The dissemination of knowledge and information has
enabled the masses to make better decisions for them. Today, the corrupt practices of politicians and
leaders get quickly highlighted on social media and people hold them accountable for their acts.
Ordinary people are becoming more and more vocal on social media. Problems at the grass-root level
are getting highlighted and in most cases, swift action is taken to address the issues. Such positive
development augurs further the strengthening of democracy.

Strengthening of the Institutions

The state institutions are getting more influential and powerful. As witnessed in the case of former
premier Nawaz Sharif when he was ousted from his office on the basis of proved corruption charges.
This has set a precedent for other politicians. Courts and other accountability institutions such as FIA,
NAB, FBR, etc. are independent in their proceedings today. Thus, the politicians are much more alert and
averse to corrupt practices as otherwise, they are aware that they would land in hot water.

Improvement in Education System

Education and democracy are part and parcel of each other. The more people are educated, the higher
the standards of democracy would be. In Pakistan, the education sector has always been neglected in
the past. The problems associated with the education system were never addressed.

However, the present government is making efforts to address the issues with the education system. In
this regard, the ‘Single National Curriculum’ has been introduced and the project is being pursued with
full vigor. This project aims at removing disparity in the attainment of education. It would help to bridge
the gap between the three distinct tiers of classes in society. When all the people would attain the same
education, it would bring equality or equity among the public by removing economic inequality among
the masses in the long run. Ultimately, this would strengthen democracy in Pakistan.

The Eighteenth Amendment & Devolution of Power

Before the passage of the 18thamendment to the constitution, the central government was the most
powerful in the country. With the 18th amendment in 2010, certain powers have been devolved to the
provincial government. Subjects like education, health, revenues, development, etc. are now under the
domain of the provincial government. Thus, the provincial governments get their part of the allocated
budget which they can utilize for the betterment of provinces. This portends improvement in the
conditions of provinces and their people.

However, the power was further supposed to be devolved to the local governments too, but that
remained unattained yet. Through the local governments, people from the grassroots level will be able
to step into politics.

CONCLUSION

In order to achieve a sound democratic system of government in Pakistan, some serious and pragmatic
steps are required to address the hurdles already discussed above. More and more people from the
lower class and middle class should be educated and encouraged to enter politics. Ordinary people must
be made aware of their rights and responsibilities. Across-the-board accountability of all the elected
members of the government must be ensured. The state institutions must be made fully independent.
Last, but not least, the media should play its impartial and unbiased role in analyzing the performance of
the incumbent government, disseminating the information, and highlighting the social issues.

Successive events and activities have taken place that make it crystal clear that there are hopes as well
as hurdles in the way of democracy in Pakistan. One the one hand, the imposition of martial law by the
military has become a distant dream now. Democratic leaders have turned mature. The democratic
governments have not only shown distinguish performance, but also smoothly transferred power to
another government as per election results for the first time in the history of Pakistan. The ECP has also
improved its performance and the citizens have become aware of their rights to rule. These all events
have created hopes for the democracy in Pakistan. One the other hand, indirect military interference in
the democratic governments, feudal lord system, corruption of democratic leaders, poor literacy rate
and ailing economy of the country, these all events act as hurdles in the way of democracy in Pakistan.
Thus, it is established that the democracy in Pakistan encounters both hopes and hurdles.

Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, democracy in the country has been witnessing both hopes and
hurdles. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was keen to introduce
democratic system in Pakistan. However, his sudden death impeded its proper imposition. Liaquat Ali
Khan, afterward, carried the vision of Jinnah, but he also failed to give it a practical shape. Imposition of
martial law by dictator Ayub khan closed all the door of democracy. Zulifqar ali Bhuttto appeared on the
political screen and injected a new blood of hope for democracy in Pakistan. He pressurized General
Yahya to hold elections. Consequently, he won the elections with a great margin in the West Pakistan
and took an oath as the first democratic leader of the country. However, the hope could not sustained
for a long time as General Zia imposed martial law and blocked the road of democratic progress. After
Zia, democracy was seen, but it remained fragile and weak and gave green signal to another dictator
General Pervez Musharraf, who ruled till 2008. After Musharraf, the democracy in Pakistan has been
witnessing good days because it continues till today without any hurdle. Hence, Democracy in Pakistan
witnessed both hopes and hurdles in Past.

A major hope for democracy in Pakistan lies in the fact the military will not come forward to impose its
direct rule by dismantling the democratic system, as it did in past, because of two major reasons:  Firstly,
the military government is not recognized by the international community and is subject to various
economic sanctions. Pakistan, is currently in the process of development because of the initiation of
CPEC, cannot afford sanctions at this critical stage. Our sensible and well-trained army knows this fact
very well. Secondly, martial law is often imposed under the patronage of a super power. At present,
Pakistan’s relations with the USA remain abysmal. Therefore, the army will avoid taking rein of the
government directly. As such, martial law is now obsolete and the democratic government will continue
to rule Pakistan.

Another hope for democracy in Pakistan is created in the form of maturity among the democratic
leaders. In past, one Democratic Party conspired against another ruling party and stalled democratic
progress.  For example, Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) staged protest against Zulifqar Ali Bhutto after
1977 general elections claiming the elections being rigged. The issue could have been resolved through
political settlement, but they demanded the removal of Bhutto and imposition of Islamic rule.
Consequently, the military got an opportunity to impose martial law under Zia in 1977 and obstructed
the path of democracy. Besides, Nawaz Sharif, while Chief Minister of Punjab, created problems for
Benazir Bhutto and tried hard to remove her government. Similarly, Benazir Bhutto played a role to
remove Nawaz Sharif in 1993. The both democratic leader celebrated ouster of each other from the
government and distributed sweets among their supporters. At present, the democratic leaders avoid
taking such actions that could impede the democratic progress. For example, during 2008 PPP
government, Nawaz Sharif was engaged in verbal war with Zardari, but did not stage protest to remove
him. On the other hand, Zardari got an opportunity to remove Nawaz government during Imran Khan
continuous protest in Islamabad. However, he realized that it would play in the hand of anti-democratic
elements. Thus, the democratic leaders have now turned mature and avoiding taking any step that could
harm the civilian rule.
The good performance of successive democratic governments has also contributed towards the well
being of the democracy in Pakistan. The democratic governments are heading towards betterment. For
instance, the existing government is better than previous government and the upcoming will have
undergone even more improvement. The democratic government of Pakistan Peoples Party, from 2008
to 2013, faced numerous challenges of extremism and terrorism. However, the next democratic
government under Nawaz Sharif successfully resolved those challenges and brought peace. The existing
government under PTI is facing daunting economic challenges but is taking stringent measures to
overcome them. Thus, the better performance of the governments has proved that fact that civilian can
also run the country effectively and has left no room for the army to interfere in the administration
directly.

The smooth transfer of power by two democratic parties to another one has enhanced the chances of
democracy to flourish in the country too. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, two democratic
parties have completed and transferred their power to the third one. It has created a proper line for
power transfer in the future, which is fundamental pre-requisite for the glory of democracy in any
country. Before, it was witnessed that the transfer was not smooth and created room for the anti-
democratic elements. For instance, as mentioned above, had the democratic leader, after the elections
of 1977, not created problems for power transfer, the military would have not imposed martial law. It
was because of non-agreement on the transfer of power in past, democracy could not survive for a long
time. Thus, the smooth transfer of power, now, will ensure the continuation of democracy in Pakistan.

The reform in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and its improved performance is another
ingredient that creates a hope for democracy in Pakistan. At present, the prime minister with the
consultation of leader of opposition appoints the chief election commissioner. The ruling government
cannot appoint its own commissioner to get the election rigged. Besides, a proper mechanism for the
appointment of the members has also been devised to ensure the transparent elections. It can be
proved from the recent appointment of the two members of the ECP. In 2019, the two vacant seats of
the members of the ECP could not been filled since eight months despite the constitutional provision for
filling the seats in 45 days. It was because the federal government under Imran Khan and opposition
could not reach a consensus on the names. In a surprise move, the government appointed the members
without consultation, but the chief election commissioner refused to administer the oath of office to
these appointees and claimed that the appointment was not based in accordance with the provision of
constitution. Thus, it is reached that the reforms in the ECP is playing a vital role in promoting the
democracy by conducting smooth and transparent elections.

The citizen of Pakistan have, now, turned aware about their rights to rule the country and it is a good
sign for the development of democracy. Before, many citizens welcomed the dictator because the
democratic leaders failed to improve their lifestyle. However, the people in uniform could not satisfy
their needs as well. As a result, they have turned against dictators too. At present, almost all the citizens
speak against the martial law and blame the military for their present poor conditions. Now, instead of
welcoming their rule, they will stand against them in the same way the people of turkey blocked the
prospects of military rule by lying before the tanks. Thus, the local citizen, now, loathes martial law and
it is a good for the prosperity of democracy in the country.

A major hurdle, of course, is the indirect interference of the military in the democratic government. The
military not only frame foreign policy of Pakistan, but also implement it. The civilian has no say in the
policies towards India, Afghanistan and the US. Besides, the head of Intelligence bureau or other
sensitive institutions like defense is always retired military officer. It means that the civilians are not
trusted with the sensitive policies. Currently, many retired military officers are occupying some
important posts. For instance, the federal Interior minister is Ijaz Ahmed Shah. He is a former head of
Intelligence bureau and a retired army officer. Besides, Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa is serving
as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting. He is retired Pakistani
three-star general. Thus, the indirect rule of the military does not bode well for the democracy in
Pakistan.

The feudal lord system is acting as the stumbling rock in the way of democracy in Pakistan. Democracy
relies on the votes of the local citizens. However, in Pakistan, some feudal lords enjoy full control over
the authority and decisions of people in their respective areas. Normally, these feudal lords own
thousands of acres agriculture lands and almost all the people living in the villages act as their farmers.
These people rely on them economically. It is, therefore, during elections, they vote only a candidate
told by their feudal lords. They do not act on their own interest, but over the command of their
superiors. In many cases, these feudal lords contest elections themselves. Consequently, they win the
elections no matter how corrupt they are and from which political party they contest. Thus, the system
of feudal lord is the basic hurdle in the way of democracy in Pakistan.

The fact that, almost all the democratic leaders are corrupt, also contributes to the fragility of the
democracy in Pakistan. They mostly work for the wider self-interest rather than the interest of the
country and its citizens after being elected. They also favor the non-transparent appointment of the
government servants to fill the institutions with their own people. Besides, they use the public funds for
their personal expenditure and deem it below their dignity to not make piles of illegal money. They use
the same money to win the elections. It was proved by the recent accountability campaign of PM Imran
Khan. Under his drive, the main leaders of the two main democratic parties were arrested on the
account of corruptions. The panama leaks also revealed some names of the democratic leaders including
farmer PM Nawaz Sharif. Because of their corruption, the local people dislike democracy and some time
talk in the favor of the authoritarian rule. Hence, the corruption of the democratic leaders is blocking
the route of democracy in the country.

The poor literacy rate of Pakistan is negatively affecting the performance of the democratic
governments very badly. It is known fact that the democratic system is successful in the countries where
the literacy rate is good. It is because; a person with good education background, knows the importance
of his vote and uses it properly for the betterment of the country. As a result, efficient democratic
leaders are elected that grab the rein of the country. Because of this reason, democracies are bearing
fruitful results in the developed countries like the US and is completely collapsing in those countries
where the literacy rate is poor. In Pakistan, with around 50 per cent illiterate people, democracy has
failed to improve the lifestyle of the people and solve the existing crisis faced by the country. Thus, it is
not wrong to say that inadequate literacy rate is causing damage to democracy in Pakistan.

The cripple economy of Pakistan also hampers the democratic progress. The better economic position of
any country is directly proportional to the prosperity of democracy. The democratic system evolved
from Greece because the export of the wine improved its economic position and thus a demand was
raised for the civilian rule. The system remained successful. However, democracy has performed poorly
in the countries facing the economic crisis. Take a classical example of Pakistan. The biggest hurdle faced
by the PM Imran Khan is the major economic challenges faced by the country. These crises have not only
made it difficult for his democratic government to focus on the other issues, but also created bad
feelings among the citizen regarding the system. As such, the poor economy of Pakistan is acting as a
biggest hurdle in the way of democracy.

An association of democratic nations must be formed to protect young democracies around the world
including Pakistan from the threat of the dictators. The strong democratic nations like the US and
European countries should extend their support to the civilian rules during crisis. Democracy needs
support and the best support for democracy can come from other democracies. Had there been an
association of democratic nations, it would have been difficult for the dictators like Zia and Musharraf to
impose martial law in Pakistan. Alarmingly, in Pakistan, the military rule received generous financial
support from the US, while the civilians were sidelined every time. Thus, the only way to sustain
democracy in Pakistan is to form an association of democratic nations at the global level.

It is imperative for the indigenous democratic leaders to improve their performance and work hard for
the betterment of the civilian to win their support. Democracy needs the cooperation of the local
citizens to flourish in any country. However, the most of the democratic leaders are corrupt in Pakistan
and has failed to show distinguish performance. As a result, democracy has become infamous in the
country. Had they worked with faithfulness and honesty to improve the lifestyle of the people, it would
have been nearly impossible for the dictators to impose direct rule. It was because of the inefficient of
the democratic leaders that the citizens never resisted the military. Otherwise, they would have lay
before the tanks the same way the citizens did in Turkey when a dictator tried to impose martial law
there. Thus, the democratic leaders need to improve their performance to block all the route of anti
democratic elements.

As such, it is reached that there is hopes as well as hurdles in the way of democracy in Pakistan. Some
events like inability of the military to impose direct rule under current circumstances, mature leadership
as compared to past, better performance of successive democratic governments, smooth transfer of
powers by the democratic parties, improvement in the performance of the ECP and awareness among
the people regarding the civilian rule, have created hope for democracy in Pakistan. In the contrast,
some other events like, indirect interference of the military in the democratic governments, feudal lords
system, corruption of democratic leaders, alarming literacy rate and poor economy of the country, have
caused hurdles in the way of democracy in Pakistan. Keeping in view this situation, an association of
democratic nations must be formed to save democracy from the anti-democratic elements. Besides, it is
imperative for the democratic leaders to strive for improving the lifestyle of the local citizens to win
their cooperation. Thus, democracy in Pakistan faces both hopes and hurdles and it is important to
remove impediments to further flourish the civilian rule.

Democracy and Illiteracy Do Not Move Together

Main Outline

A- Introduction

B- Basic Tenets of Democracy

C- Facts which prove that democracy and illiteracy cannot move together

Illiterate population cannot choose visionary and capable leaders

Illiterate populace cannot hold leaders accountable for their failure to perform

Illiteracy entrenches feudal norms and suppresses liberties

Illiterate population provides a fertile ground for dictatorship

Illiteracy blurs awareness of fundamental rights leading to poor governance

Illiterate population cannot make rulers adopt people friendly policies

Illiterate masses do not demand transparency in Govt affairs

Illiteracy maintains gender gap, resulting in inequality and inequity

Illiteracy promotes extremism resulting in dangerous atmosphere for minoritie

Illiterate masses fail to appreciate their right to organise and protest in response

oppressive Govt policies.

Illiterate masses cannot harness the power of social media to raise important issues.

E-governance is the future but it thrives only in an educated society.

D- Causes of the prevalence of illiteracy

Persistent want of Political will

Inadequate budgetary allocations

Regressive cultural norms

The ghost of Gender inequality

Persistently prevailing poverty

E- Recommendations for proliferation of literacy leading to stronger democracy

Enhacement of GDP spending on Education.

Devising of scrupulously designed and thoroughly implemented educational policies2.

Prioritization of Education as the most pressing challenge3.

Encouragement of women participation and removal of peculiar barriers to girls4.

education

Convincing of poor parents to send their children to school by offering financial incentives

Initiation of Public Private partnership for increasing the number of schools and colleges

Provision of free transportation to students of rural and distant areas7.

Constructive role of media and civil society8.

F- Conclusion

Democracy and illiteracy do not move together: democracy can not bear its fruits in an ignorant and
illiterate environment; because only a learned society or a country can grasp the essence of democratic
norms and cultures. It is evident from the current world scenarios: countries, with improved literacy
rates, have managed to strengthen democratic setups. Whereas, countries having the majority of the
masses illiterate are struggling to adopt this form of government.

Fundamental virtues in a democratic society

Fundamental virtues of a democratic set up in a country such as justice, rule of law, liberty, equality,
transparency, meritocracy, accountability, tolerance, and at last, rights, and duties of a state and its
citizens can only thrive in an educated society. One of the reasons is that uneducated people find it
tough to understand the fruits and dividends of sticking to the democratic norms and virtues mentioned
above.

Factors that prove democracy and illiteracy cannot move together

Firstly, in a democratic culture people chose the leadership themselves i.e. by the process of voting. If
the majority of people are literate and educated, they will certainly have the capacity to chose the right
and capable leadership by whom the whole country will be governed. whereas, on the other side, a
society with the majority of illiterate people will not have the capacity to choose the right men for the
right job because illiterate people are easily fooled and molded by the political leadership of a country
filled with illiteracy.

Secondly, an illiterate society lacks the most important virtue of a democratic setup i.e. Accountability. It
is a virtue that enables people of a democratic country to hold their rulers and public office holders
accountable for their performance. This virtue enables people to elect their leadership based on their
performance and not just on mere slogans. If a society promotes the virtue of accountability in a
democratic setup, its leadership becomes capable of delivering on the promises and policies mentioned
during election campaigns. Whereas, on the contrary, promises and policies mentioned during election
campaigns become mere slogans once the virtue of accountability is taken out of the system.

Thirdly, a democratic society believes in equality. Not only this but people of a truly democratic setup
promote social, political, cultural, and economic liberties. All citizens, regardless of cultural, linguistic,
and religious differences, are equal and free to live their lives as of their own will. Whereas in an
ignorant society, despite having democracy, people believe in feudalistic norms, cultural ill practices,
and patriarchy. There is a major gap between the life of an elite and the poor, the elite takes it their
birthright to rule whereas the poor are always considered to be ruled. Despite having democracy, in an
illiterate society, politics is only controlled by the powerful elite families regardless of their capabilities.

Fourthly, in an illiterate society political leadership lacks vision. The majority of them believe in power
politics i.e. they contest elections not to change the fortunes of their country but just to win elections
and control the seat of power. This lack of long-term thinking among political leadership and will of
sacrifice for the betterment of their country in an illiterate society pave the way for undemocratic forces
to take over the country, especially in countries like Pakistan having witnessed half of its life being ruled
by military rulers. This results in the collapse of the democratic set up in the country of illiterate masses.

Lastly, educated people are easily governed i.e. they tend to follow government rules and regulations
ultimately making look governance easy, whereas, uneducated masses are hard to be ruled as they tend
to follow their own rules hence making look governance easy and ultimately resulting in bad
governance.

Stats proving democracy and illiteracy do not move together

Following are some of the stats to compare the democratic virtues like religious and political freedom,
tolerance, accountability, and so on, between a democratic country with fewer literacy rates and a
democratic country with higher literacy rates.

As per the democracy index, 2019 published by Statista, the top ten most democratic countries are
those having greater literacy rates i.e. Norway tops the list of countries having most democratic norms
having a literacy rate of 99%. Switzerland which comes 10th on the list had a literacy rate of 99% too.

Moreover, as per the report published by freedom-house, comparing the civil liberties and political
rights among different countries and rating them based on ground realities. The report suggests that the
following countries: Norway, Sweden, and Finland have scored 100/100 compared to other countries
when the above-mentioned virtues of their countries are rated. Moreover, when the literacy rates of
these countries are taken into account, they are rated as having the same literacy rates of 99% in each
country. On the contrary, while observing the same list, when we shed light upon democratic countries
like Pakistan and Bangladesh having a literacy rate of around 59% and 70% respectively, both countries
are scored as 38 and 39 respectively.

Besides being listed almost at the bottom in the list of countries having greater political and civil liberties
compared to other democratic states, illiterate democratic countries are again termed as “countries of
particular concern” when rated among the ranks of countries having religious freedom among its
people. Religious activities and freedom are practiced in the majority of the democratic states having a
greater number of educated people. whereas, religious minorities seem to be living a difficult life
despite having democratic setups in the countries having greater illiteracy rates. As per the annual 2019
report of “United States Commission on International Religious Freedom democratic country like
Pakistan is grouped with countries of particular concern with respect to the religious activities and
freedom.

Finally, the stats related to the most important virtue that if found in a democratic society, helps in
achieving and maintaining democracy in its true sense i.e. accountability was indicated in a report “voice
and accountability index 2018” published by the global economy website. As per the report, Norway
again tops the list of countries having the greatest rate of accountability and social freedom. When the
light is shed upon other democratic countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh having lesser literacy rates,
unfortunately, the results are not so bright, as Pakistan and Bangladesh are ranked at 143 and 139
respectively out of 194 countries in the list of countries having virtues of accountability and social
freedom.

Conclusion
While concluding the discussion it can therefore be contended that democracy, indeed, is the most
popular and most suitable form of government for the people in this modern age of globalization. But
democracy will only flourish and bear its fruits once the people are well aware and learned so that they
are capable to choose the right people for the right job. It is the rule of the masses and will only
succeed if the masses are aware, educated, and literate.  Countries that have invested in strengthening
their educational systems and have strived in making people aware.

Democracy is the only form of government capable of representing people’s wishes and safeguarding
their well-being. However, illiteracy can be rated as its biggest enemy because of its potential of creating
such an environment that not only endangers the very existence of democracy but also deprives it of all
the fruits that are promised by a democratic dispensation. Democracy and illiteracy, certainly and
irrefutably, can never move together.

The fact that can be presented as the very first evidence to prove democracy’s incompatible with
illiteracy is the electorate’s unawareness, which is caused by lack of education. This unawareness leads
to unwise and imprudent decisions at the time of elections and resultantly, the state, despite having a
democratic form of government, remains deprived of the most suitable persons to runs its affairs.

The government of Pakistan should try its hard to bring illiteracy down and promote democratic form of
government. So that people can be rational and aware of their fundamental constitutional rights and
they may understand the modes of life of the modern world. In comparison to other provinces of
Pakistan, Sindh is more vulnerable in literacy rate because of poverty, unemployment, favouritism and
nepotism, and feudalism. The Sindh Government needs to bring a huge change in its prevailing society.
Otherwise the well-being of people of Sindh is impossible.

1.      Introduction

Democracy and illiteracy are two concepts that have a complex relationship, and it can be argued that
they don’t inevitably move together. Democracy is a political system that promotes the participation of
citizens in decision-making, whilst illiteracy refers to the inability to read and write. Along with peace,
hunger and disease, illiteracy is another a deep-rooted problem which remains a long way from being
solved despite huge investments from government. Illiteracy has another contradictory point concerning
to democracy which is its tendency to promote centralized control of power & authority. Illiteracy elicits
& supports class disparities by holding the power & authority confined to a few hands only – and this
thing kills the spirit of democracy.

2.      Challenges of Illiteracy in Democracy:

Illiteracy can pose challenges to democracy as it may limit the ability of people to fully participate in the
democratic process. In a democratic society, citizens are probable to engage in critical thinking, make
informed decisions, and participate in discussions and debates. However, illiteracy can inhibit these
abilities, as it can limit access to information, restrict the understanding of complex issues, and hinder
effective communication. Illiterate citizens may confront troubles in understanding political candidates,
evaluating policies, or engaging in debates, which can result in reduced participation in elections or
decision-making processes.
Democracy, owing to its fruits and dividends, wields a distinguished and unique position among all the
different forms of government. All the gurus and thinkers in the field of political science, despite having
much disagreement over their other concepts and beliefs, are unanimous in their support for
democracy, declaring it as the only form of government capable of representing people’s wishes and
safeguarding their wellbeing. Where so many other factors jeopardize the existence, growth and
performance of democracy, illiteracy can be rated as its biggest enemy because of its potential of
creating such an environment that not only endangers the very existence of democracy but also
deprives it of all the fruits that are promised by a democratic dispensation. Democracy and illiteracy,
certainly and irrefutably, can never move together.

Since the beginning of life on the Earth, human needs have undergone many changes. Initially, only
food, clothes and shelter were the basic necessities of life because these were the only things humans
needed for survival. Gradually, these requirements transformed owing to increase in population and a
well-organised, collective governance system became the topmost priority of every society and
civilization. Political journey of mankind saw different stations of experience and various junctures of
observation. After experiencing monarchy, theocracy, autocracy, dictatorship and many more political
models; human wisdom is now fully convinced that democracy and only democracy is the system that
can best serve human desire of inclusive progress, prosperity and growth.

Democracy has been and can be defined in a number of ways. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines
democracy as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them
directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free
elections.” As per Cambridge Dictionary, democracy is “the belief in freedom and equality between
people or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected
representatives or directly by the people themselves.” In simple words, democracy can be defined as a
political system in which collective affairs are run through people’s chosen representatives. Provision of
fundamental rights, equality before law, participatory governance, accountability and transparency, and
decentralization of power and authority are some basic principles of democracy.

Democracy, owing to its multitude of benefits, is certainly the best form of government. Like every
system, however, democracy too has some vulnerabilities and limitations as far as its sustenance,
growth and performance are concerned. Illiteracy is one of the very same factors the presence of which
is highly detrimental to the very existence of democracy. Illiteracy, just like a powerful witch, clips the
wings of the dove of democracy till the time it dies its natural death. Many ground realities provide
substantial evidence to the very same fact that democracy and illiteracy can never and by no means
move together. A detailed analysis of these realities can be extremely informative and eye-opener.

The fact that can be presented as the very first evidence to prove democracy’s incompatibility with
illiteracy is electorate’s political unawareness that is caused by lack of education. This unawareness
leads to unwise and imprudent decisions at the time of elections and resultantly the state, despite
having a democratic form of government, remains deprived of the most suitable persons to run its
affairs. Similarly, being unaware of their rights, these electors remain incapable of exerting pressure on
those elected by them that is necessary to keep them on the right track, and hence democracy yields no
fruitful results .

Likewise, low voter turnout is another issue that is peculiar to the states having poor literacy rates, and
it also has detrimental impacts on democracy. According to a report released by the Pew Research
Centre, the highest turnout rates among OECD nations in this decade were in Belgium (87.2%), Sweden
(82.6%) and Denmark (80.3%); and these are the countries having exceptional literacy rate of 99
percent. Conversely, Pakistan recently touched a voter turnout of 58 percent and the literacy rate in
Pakistan is also below 60 percent. The directly proportional connection between literacy rate and voter
turnout renders it impossible for democracy to move hand in hand with illiteracy.

Similarly literacy rate has a direct connection with the quality of leadership in a country. Political leaders
are nothing but the members of a particular society having all the good and the bad features that it
carries. An illiterate society does – and it should – produce illiterate and unaware political leadership
and that is extremely dangerous for the effective performance of democracy. Prudence, intelligence,
vision, farsightedness, broad-mindedness, maturity: these traits evolve only in a well-educated and well-
groomed society. A comparison between the members of parliaments of developed and
underdeveloped countries will clearly exhibit the very same reality; where the MPs of developed
countries are not only highly educated but also experts in some particular academic fields, the ones of
underdeveloped countries are barely equipped with fundamental education, not to talk of having
specific expertise. In Pakistan, prior to the imposition of the condition that declared graduation as the
minimum requirement for being a part of the legislature; many such politicians used to get repeatedly
elected who were unable to write even their name. So, what quality of contribution should one expect
of these individuals who were dependent on others in reading the agenda of the legislative session.
Even today, most of the members of provincial assemblies and the national parliament in Pakistan are
unable to comprehend the wording of simple draft bills; leave aside contributing to their improvement.

Similarly, illiteracy does not let democratic norms develop within the mainstream political parties,
leading to one man’s or one family’s hold over the party – a situation that is closer to monarchy than to
the actual spirit of democracy. Political landscapes of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India reflect the very
same realities where leadership of political parties gets transferred from one generation to the next
purely on inheritance basis. Members and followers of these political parties, owing to their illiteracy
and unawareness, have developed a mindset of blindly following their leaders without bothering to
consider whether they actually hold the credentials necessary to run the affairs of the party, or for that
matter the state. Such sort of democracy, which is far away from democratic values, leads to an
environment that impedes the provision of even the fundamental rights.

The fact that democracy and illiteracy cannot move together can also be proved by having a glance at
the economic conditions of the states riddled with the evil of illiteracy. Poverty, unemployment and
backwardness: this is what illiteracy brings whenever and wherever it prevails. All these socioeconomic
issues make people too miserable to consider anything beyond the basic necessities of life. Not casting
of votes due to lack of interest or fear of losing a day’s bread and butter, selling of votes for a few coins
and supporting such candidates who may fulfil voter’s economic needs are some manifestations of the
political behaviour that engulfs states having poor literacy rates. Whereas democracy require such
people as electorate who are able to cast their votes keeping themselves above all the material
temptations; illiteracy creates for the political leaders a complete and well-settled “voter market” where
they buy votes by offering more lucrative incentives than their rivals do.

Likewise, the quality of planning and policymaking in countries having low literacy rates is never up to
the mark and the very outcome of this shortcoming appears in the form of poor performance of the
democratically-elected governments. Quality of policies improves when a system of critically evaluating
and analysing the same is available. This system can be put in place only if necessary knowledge and
skills are available in the form of think tanks or quality opposition leadership. Illiteracy, however,
deprives the state of all these essential elements that can contribute to the drafting of farsighted
policies. Resultantly, the plans and policies devised in such states reflect the whims and wishes of a
single mind; and most of the time, they lack balance, practicability, vision and inclusiveness, and do
nothing for directly addressing the issues and grievances of the general masses. Pakistan’s economic and
social policies can be used as a perfect example to portray the very same reality. In the 1950s, for
example, the democratically-elected governments devised economic policies that favoured industry,
purely at the cost of agriculture. This not only adversely impacted the agricultural sector of the country
but also filled the eyes of our East Pakistani brethren with mistrust and apprehensions as the economy
of East Pakistan was dependent on agriculture; and these policies were dealing them severe blows.
Similarly, nationalization policy of 1970s and blind privatization policy of the 1990s also did nothing
more than adding to the failures of democratically-elected governments. Laptop Scheme, Sasti Roti
scheme, Metro Bus project, and Ramadan Bazaars also reflect the very same policies of the government,
the very purpose of which was to gain political appreciation without focussing on these potential to
contribute to the social uplift of the society.

Illiteracy has another conflicting point with respect to democracy which is its tendency to promote
centralized control of power and authority. Illiteracy creates and supports class disparities by keeping
the power and authority confined to a few hands only – and this thing kills the spirit of democracy. It can
be observed that feudal system and colonial mindset mostly prevail in societies where illiteracy has not
been eradicated so far, and people feel protected while living in a tribal or a feudal environment. This
mindset, when prevails in a particular society, does not remain confined to social sector only as it keeps
other sectors, including the political one, also under its sway. Democratically-elected rulers in these
societies try to keep most of the financial and administrative powers under their thumb, and the general
public too accepts it without any sort of resentment or resistance. When one looks at the political
history of Pakistan, a country where feudal mindset prevails owing to illiteracy, it dawns on one that
none of the democratically-elected governments showed interest in devolution of power through
effective local government system. Every time it was put in place, utmost efforts were made to not
devolve substantially the financial and administrative powers to this lowest and most important tier of
the government. Centralization of authority caused by illiteracy detrimentally affects the performance of
democratically-elected government and jeopardizes the existence of democracy in the long run.

Yet another factor that makes democracy not adjustable with illiteracy is lack of accountability that is an
indirect outcome of lack of education and awareness. In an illiterate society accountability never exists
as a general norm and, resultantly, all the sectors lack sound and foolproof accountability mechanism. In
absence of accountability, democracy never delivers the way it should. Ultimately people start losing
faith and trust in democratic form of government. This creates an opportunity for the rogue elements
which are always interested in destabilizing democracy by trying to replace it with another system
promising general people immediate resolution of their issues. In Pakistan, all the three martial laws
were greatly welcomed by the general public and declared justified by the superior courts merely
because they were imposed when an environment of disappointment and uncertainty had engulfed the
whole country, and people were anxiously waiting for some miracle to happen so as to help them get rid
of their miseries and sufferings.
Similarly, illiteracy is one of the biggest impediments to women empowerment – an imperative to the
sustenance, growth and effective performance of democracy. An illiterate society promotes patriarchal
culture and resists every effort aimed at liberating the women from the shackles of backwardness and
privation. Since backwardness of women keeps social and economic sectors of the state deprived of the
active contribution and input by the half of the population, democracy remains unable to perform well
and to address the basic grievances of the general public, leading to growing mistrust on the
performance of democratic governments and creating conducive environment for the anti-democratic
forces.

Now after having proved beyond doubt that illiteracy is extremely detrimental to the sustenance and
functioning of democracy, it is highly pertinent to have a glance at the factors responsible for the
unabated presence of illiteracy in different parts of the world. The very first among these is financial
incapability of different states to support their education sector properly. Statistics endorse the fact that
the countries that are considered illiteracy-ridden are mostly the ones having poor economies;
resultantly, less spending on their education sectors. According to a study conducted by Organization for
the Economic Cooperation and Development in 2017, this is the United States that spends on education
more than any other country of the world. US’s spending in 2014, according to this report, averaged
$16,268 per student per year, whereas the literacy rate there in 2019 is 99%, according to UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Absence of suitable policies is another cause of illiteracy in many countries of the world. Although every
government does formulate education policy in order to combat illiteracy, this policy usually lacks a
farsighted approach and vision which results directly in the non-accomplishment of goals. Similarly, in
many states, ground realities are totally ignored while designing education policy; therefore, these
policies fail to cast a substantial impact on the overall literacy rate. Pakistan can be quoted as a
pertinent example where education policies never focussed on the factors like child labour, poverty and
religious fanaticism; and ultimately the targets were almost always missed.

Poverty is another big reason for illiteracy across the globe. A glance at the global literacy position vis-à-
vis economic development index reveals that the countries where people are affluent are far more
educated as compared to those which are poverty-ridden. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Singapore: all
these countries are not only rich but also more literate. In fact, poverty has a direct link with the
priorities of a state and its people. People having not sufficient resources to feed their children would
never focus on education at least till the time their basic needs are fulfilled. Poverty and education also
can’t move together; and this is what is happening in all the Third World countries.

While considering the factors responsible for illiteracy, one cannot ignore the role of social, cultural and
religious barriers that are also big impediments to the spread of education. In many parts of the world,
despite huge awareness campaigns runs by media, people are not sensitized to the importance of
education in general and of females in particular. Areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in
Pakistan can be quoted as pertinent examples where girls’ schools have been attacked and destroyed on
the behest of such religious fanatics who declare women’s education as un-Islamic and illegitimate
(haram). Some social and cultural traditions also damage the cause of education in the very same way.

Overpopulation and corruption, too, are the factors hugely responsible for illiteracy that, in turn, is an
impediment to the sustenance of democracy. Both these evils cast deleterious impacts on the national
exchequer and debilitate a state’s capacity to support its education sector. All the states having poor
literacy rates are also afflicted with the same two issues and ultimately have weak and unstable
democracies.

Now a big question: what should be done to ameliorate the situation as illiteracy, if allowed to prevail,
would never let democracy sustain and deliver? The very first thing in this context would be to devise
some meticulous education policy based on realistic facts and figures; divided in short-, medium- and
long-term goals. For this purpose, all states should gather necessary statistics to be used for
policymaking purpose and involve all the stakeholders and international experts in the process.

Similarly, budgetary allocation for education should be enhanced particularly in those countries where
literacy rates and standards are not up to the mark. The United Nations and its attached organizations
should step further to assist developing countries in terms of finance, and expertise. A minimum
standard in terms of percentage to GDP should be fixed globally to bind all the states to allocate
substantial funds for their education sectors.

Poverty eradication is also an important milestone to be achieved if the destination of cent per cent
literacy rate is to be reached at. Visionary leadership, farsighted policies and a wholehearted
implementation, as well as frequent evaluation of these policies can be the key to eradication of poverty
at state level.

An effective population control programme can also be a key to improving education sector as it is
always difficult to cater to the needs of a fast-growing number of people. Meticulous planning followed
by flawless and inflexible implementation is immensely important for the purpose.

Eradication of corruption from education sector can also be helpful in maximizing the utility and benefit
of resources available with the education sector. Use of technology, comprehensive internal and
external audit programmes, strict accountability mechanism and simplification of procedures can be
effective for the purpose. Transparent use of resources in education sector will enhance the efficiency
and efficacy of this sector and the literacy rate will automatically improve.

To put it in a nutshell, democracy can by no means move together with illiteracy. Democracy requires
some peculiar factors for its smooth functioning. And, these factors are available only when the people
who are to serve as electorate are not only educated but are also aware enough to use their right of
political choice independently and sagaciously. Many impediments sprouting from political, economic,
social and administrative sectors block the spread of education, casting deleterious impacts on
democracy. Meticulously devised plans coupled with across-the-board implementation, however, can
still do the job and expedite the process of spread of education. The way technology has made its way to
common people, it is not unjust to comment that people are getting sensitized to the importance of
both education and democracy and the day is not much far away when only democratically-elected
governments would be seen governing the states of the world. Though right now it appears only to be a
sweet wish, yet everything that is perceivable is achievable.

Facts That Prove That Democracy and Illiteracy Do Not Move Together

Various facts represent the reality that democracy and illiteracy and democracy don’t move together.
Some of them are:
  Illiterate voters elect unsuitable political candidates as leaders

 Illiteracy favors low voters’ turnout

 Illiterate politicians don’t respect the democratic rights of people

 Illiteracy leads to a short-sighted approach in decision-making circles

 Illiteracy discourages devolution of power and authority

 Illiteracy leads to poor political accountability

 Illiteracy assents backwardness and marginalization of women

 Illiteracy leads to the unskilled labor force

 Illiteracy discourages the process of political evolution

 Illiterate masses do not demand transparency in Govt. affairs

 Illiterate people don’t raise voice against injustices in society

 Illiteracy favors gender bias and results in inequality

 Illiteracy promotes extremism resulting in a dangerous atmosphere for minorities

 Illiterate people are more vulnerable to the health crisis

 Illiteracy discourages technological advancements

 Illiteracy gives space to a social crisis like unplanned population growth, drug abuse,
unemployment, and economic deprivation

 Illiteracy doesn’t approve of political harmony and widens the class divide

6.      Factors Responsible for The Widespread Prevalence of the Menace of Illiteracy

Several factors responsible for the widespread prevalence of the menace of illiteracy. Some of them are
listed below:

 The flawed approach in policy making

 Poor implementation of social development plans

 Budgetary constraints

 Population explosion

 War-mongering and terrorism

 Stereotypical beliefs

 Cultural barriers

 Shortages of financial resources

  No preference for education

 Corruption and lack of meritocracy

7.      Recommendations for Increasing the Literacy that Leads to Stronger Democracy

Some of the recommendations of increasing literacy rate are:

 Devising sharply focused policies

 Prioritizing education sector

 The proactive role of mainstream and social media

 Encouraging women participation in different fields

 Motivating and sensitizing the parents about the importance of education

 Financial and social support for poor children

 Educating the people about their basic political and constitutional rights

 Removal of religious, racial, and class-based discrimination

 Role of developed states and international forums in improving the literacy rates

 Awareness campaigns to eliminate social and cultural barriers about girls’ education

 Poverty-alleviation programs

 Provision of qualitative and technological skills to youth

 Eradication of bad governance and corruption

Definition of Democracy:

Democracy, a system of government where power is vested in the hands of the people, has long
been hailed as the epitome of good governance and an ideal form of governance for fostering
political stability, social progress, and economic development.

Failure of Democracy in Pakistan

Pakistan, since its independence in 1947, has struggled to establish a stable democratic system.
Despite holding several elections over the years, Pakistan’s democracy has been marred by several
setbacks and challenges that have led to its failure. This essay will delve into the reasons why
democracy has failed to take root in Pakistan, and the challenges that Pakistan’s democracy faces in
the present.

Historical Overview of Democracy in Pakistan: After gaining independence from British colonial rule,
Pakistan adopted a parliamentary system of government with a bicameral legislature. However, the
country’s first elected government was overthrown by the military in 1958, setting the stage for a
long series of military coups and dictatorships that plagued Pakistan’s political landscape for
decades. In 1971, Pakistan lost its eastern province, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), due to political
and military mismanagement, which further weakened the country’s democratic institutions.
It was not until 1988 that Pakistan once again saw a civilian government come to power. However,
this government was short-lived, and the military took over once again in 1999. Since then, Pakistan
has witnessed a tumultuous political landscape, with multiple civilian governments being dismissed
on charges of corruption or inefficiency, and the military playing a significant role in politics.

Causes

The causes of the failure of democracy in Pakistan are multifaceted and rooted in various historical,
cultural, and institutional factors.  Some of the several factors that have contributed to the failure of
democracy in Pakistan include:

1. Military Intervention: Pakistan’s military has historically played a dominant role in the country’s
politics. The military has taken over the government several times, each time weakening
democratic institutions and processes.

2. Political Instability: Pakistan has struggled with political instability for most of its history. This
has been exacerbated by frequent changes in government, corruption, and a lack of consensus
among political parties.

3. Weak Institutions: Pakistan’s democratic institutions, such as the judiciary, election commission,

and parliament, have been weakened by a lack of resources, political interference, and
corruption.

4. Elite Capture: Pakistan’s political system has been dominated by a few powerful families, who
have used their wealth and influence to capture state institutions and perpetuate their hold on
power.

5. Ethnic and Religious Divisions: Pakistan is a diverse country, with several ethnic and religious
groups. These divisions have often led to political fragmentation and a lack of consensus on key
issues, further weakening democratic institutions.

Challenges

Challenges Facing Pakistan’s Democracy: Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s democracy has
survived and continues to face new challenges in the present. Some of these challenges include:

1. Political Polarization: Pakistan’s political landscape is polarized, with political parties and

leaders often taking extreme positions that make compromise and consensus-building difficult.

2. Terrorism and Security Concerns: Pakistan continues to face security challenges from terrorism
and insurgent groups. These groups often target politicians and political events, further
weakening democratic institutions.

3. Economic Instability: Pakistan’s economy is fragile and often dependent on external aid. This
has led to frequent economic crises and inflation, which have eroded public confidence in
democratic institutions.

4. Judicial Independence: Pakistan’s judiciary has been subject to political interference, and the
government has often dismissed judges who rule against its interests. This has weakened the
judiciary’s ability to act as a check on government power.
Addressing the Failure of Democracy in Pakistan

Addressing the failure of democracy in Pakistan is essential for the country’s progress and stability.
Several key steps can be taken to overcome these challenges and pave the way for a successful
democratic system in Pakistan.

1. Strengthening Institutions: Strong and independent institutions are the backbone of any

democratic system. It is crucial to ensure that institutions such as the judiciary, bureaucracy, and
electoral commission are free from political interference, corruption, and nepotism. This can be
achieved through reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and merit-based
appointments. The judiciary should be empowered to act as an impartial guardian of the
constitution, and the bureaucracy should be professionalized to ensure efficient and effective
governance.

2. Political Stability: Political instability has been a major hurdle in Pakistan’s democratic journey.
Efforts should be made to promote political stability by fostering a culture of consensus-building
and promoting a sense of national interest over narrow party interests. Political parties should
prioritize the welfare of the people and work towards forming stable governments that can
complete their full terms. Political transitions should take place through constitutional means,
and any extra-constitutional interventions, including military coups, should be unequivocally
condemned and prevented.

3. Addressing Corruption: Corruption has deeply entrenched itself in various aspects of Pakistani

society, including politics, bureaucracy, and law enforcement agencies. Anti-corruption
measures should be prioritized to hold corrupt politicians and bureaucrats accountable,
irrespective of their political affiliations. This requires strengthening anti-corruption laws,
empowering anti-corruption agencies, and ensuring swift and impartial justice in corruption
cases. Additionally, efforts should be made to promote transparency and accountability in all
government processes, including budget allocations, procurement, and public service delivery.

4. Promoting Political Will: Political leadership plays a crucial role in the success of democracy.
Political leaders should demonstrate a strong political will to strengthen democratic institutions,
uphold the rule of law, and prioritize the welfare of the people. This includes refraining from
indulging in patronage politics, nepotism, and favoritism, and promoting inclusive policies that
address the needs of all segments of society. Political leaders should also actively engage in
dialogue and consensus-building to resolve issues and disputes in a peaceful and democratic
manner.

5. Civic Education and Participation: Civic education and participation are essential for the success
of democracy. Efforts should be made to promote civic education among the masses, including
an understanding of democratic principles, rights, and responsibilities. Citizens should be
encouraged to actively participate in the political process, including voting in elections, engaging
in peaceful protests, and holding their elected representatives accountable. Civil society
organizations, media, and educational institutions can play a vital role in promoting civic
education and fostering an informed and engaged citizenry.
6. Inclusivity and Minority Rights: Inclusive governance that respects the rights of all citizens,
including minorities, is crucial for the success of democracy. Efforts should be made to ensure
that all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or gender, have equal opportunities and
representation in the political process. Minority rights should be safeguarded, and
discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, or gender should be unequivocally condemned and
addressed through appropriate legal and policy measures.

7. Economic Development and Social Welfare: Addressing poverty, unemployment, and social

inequality is essential for the success of democracy. Economic development and social welfare
policies should be prioritized to ensure that the benefits of democracy are felt by all citizens.
Efforts should be made to promote inclusive economic growth, create job opportunities, and
provide basic amenities such as education, healthcare, and clean water to all citizens, especially
those marginalized and disadvantaged.

Consequences of Democracy Failure in Pakistan

The consequences of the failure of democracy in Pakistan have been far-reaching and detrimental to
the country’s political stability, economic development, and social progress.

Firstly, the frequent disruptions in the democratic process, including military coups and
unconstitutional changes of government, have resulted in political instability and an erosion of
democratic norms and values. This has created a sense of uncertainty among investors and hindered
economic growth and development.

Secondly, the lack of genuine political competition and the dominance of dynastic politics have
resulted in weak and ineffective governance, with a culture of nepotism and patronage prevailing
over meritocracy. This has led to a misallocation of resources, weak policy implementation, and a
lack of effective public service delivery, further undermining public trust in democratic institutions.

Lastly, the widespread corruption and lack of accountability have eroded public trust in the
democratic process and created a perception of systemic injustice, leading to social inequality,
alienation, and frustration among marginalized groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the failure of democracy in Pakistan is a complex issue that has been shaped by
historical, political, and social factors. Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s democracy continues to
survive, albeit with several setbacks and challenges. To strengthen democracy in Pakistan, it is
essential to address the underlying factors that have contributed to its failure, including military
intervention, weak institutions, political instability, and elite capture. Only then can Pakistan hope to
establish a stable and vibrant democratic system that is responsive to the needs of its citizens.

Democracy as a Culture We are beginning examining democracy as culture. It has already been
mentioned above that democracy may be defined through two dimensions, as an institution and as
a system. As an institution this consist a combination of values comprising different elements which
are essential for a democratic society. Hence democracy as a culture can be studied emphasizing
upon its value system considering it as an institution. 190 The Government Significance of Culture:
Culture has a significant impact on the day to day life on its people. Being a custodian of value
system, it gives weightage to the lifestyle of particular community it represents. Because for the
development of human civilization most important aspect is its value system. Democracy as a
culture therefore also gives weightage to its value system which is defined through its different
essential elements. Hence a successful democracy must maintain its value system while being a
culture. In an institution which for our discussion is a state system is such kind of functions which
stand being very sensitive to perform properly to give an accurate result from this dimension
process being a system is equally important that of culture. Hence democracy needs to be analyzed
as an institution as well as system for understanding the value system of democratic political
society. For our further discussion using practical approach we can pick up examples of developing
state of Pakistan and developed state of the USA. Pakistan is fighting with democracy since its
inception in 1947. It has passed through continued crises in search of democracy although it
succeeded to establish meaningful democracy in its 1973 constitution which had a democratic basis.
The assembly which gave the constitution was democratically elected through general elections
based in adult franchise. But ironically the basis of election had traditional voting behavior which
possessed combined influence of Pakistan political culture being into pluralistic in character as
ethino-regional, rulers urban, mass-elite, and religion-sectarian. Further it is also socially diversified.
People in general are hardly aware of functioning of democracy as a system particularly in
developing nation but if one has to analyze democracy he / she must go into the depth of both, its
value system and its functionalism that is its institutionalization and its function as a system. Hence
democracy may be considered both as being an institution culture and being system a process.
Impact of culture on society Culture plays a constructive role on society. It involves every members
of the society to lead his / her life according to the norm and value determined by its culture. When
the society takes the shape of state, for the purpose of governing it, and creates democracy as its
culture, this culture ultimately plays constructive role in running of the state. All those essential
elements of democratic culture become source of inspiration for the citizens of the state. Hence
with inspiration for the Democracy is a Culture 191 citizens of the state hence the state comes under
bondage of that value system which is essential for a democratically based political society. The
above mentioned points dealing with cultural value system of a democratically based political
society must combine together to created a viable political system. Thus the state has to seek all
those essential elements from the bulk of its citizenry. Democracy as process: Our next discussion
on democracy is on consideration of its being as process. To study democracy as process we divided
it into three steps dimensions; it’s meaning its significance and its functions Its meaning: Democracy
as a process may be taken up as a system for the purpose of running the state government. A state
is governed through representatives of people in a democratic system. It involves the most
important aspect for creating and maintaining democracy by the government depending upon the
voting behaviors of the people. The voting behavior varies from society to society or even
community to community within the population of a state. It has great impact of a given state’s
political culture. Generally speaking, the population of a particular state has pluralistic political
culture resulting into three different kinds of orientations to what Gabriel almond calls it parochial,
subject and participant. These three orientations directly or indirectly, consciously or subconsciously
effect the voting behavior of an individual in the state. Therefore, in a pluralistic culture state,
democracy has a system which may not properly work. It means the value system of democracy
which represents its institutional meaning in definition of its being culture is difficult to be
maintained such examples. We may take from a developing state of Pakistan and a developed state,
The United states of America. In Pakistan voting behavior largely depends upon jagirdari system,
zamindari system, caste system, tribalism, regionalism, or ethnicity. In contemporary political
dynamic of the United State such examples occurred with newly held presidential elections. The
pluralistic culture of US divided the nation with exploitations of diversity within the unity. Its
significance: The diversifications within the cultural value system in a state makes system or process
weak. It implies that the most important aspect within the system is the formation of unity. The
moment unity is divided; it directly affects the working of a system. Hence democracy as a system
has significant value for running the government properly and successfully to maintain true
democracy which has a basis of its own cultural values. Its functions: In a state, system functions
with help of three unified forces or elements namely authority, Administrative mechanism, and
political mobilization and participation of people for a successful democratic system the state must
maintain rationalization of authority, specialization of administrative mechanism and full extended
mobilization and full participation of the people. Hence these three element can make democracy
suffice as a process when it is functioning with its significance value as a system. Whether
democracy is a culture or a process: The above study on democracy, culture, and process indicate
that a state with democratic system of government functions on the basis of both culture as well as
process. It functions as a culture being an institution; hence it deals with the value system of the
society which has combination of different elements of democracy those defined above like respect
of sovergnity, liberty, equality and so on. If any one of these is not followed or it given respect and
importance in running the state, these are always chance of losing democracy. Similarly democracy
as a process is meaningful as it is taken up as a system to run the government carrying social
satisfaction based on economic life, liberty and hierarchical formation of socio-cultural values.
Consequently, the numerous elections after 1970 failed establishing democracy by keeping itself
away as on institution or as a process both the institution and the system went so much wrong that
it because victim of militancy regimes since the period of establishing democracy in 1973. Unites
States of America has very-different history with established democracy of 240 years. It was created
with locking concept of consent. It maintained its values with strong sense of its institutional
foundation. It functioned in a very systematic method leaden to such a period of time challenging
the institution setup of democracy, but always maintains its value system in its approach. It is for the
first time in America history that presendial elections result has created fear in the citizens with
obvious division within the nation on the basis of diversity breaking the unity. The newly elected
president is challenging the maker clauses of the constitution defined the value of liberty and
equality in first 10 amendments. The world is eagerly looking towards the challenging position for
the presidential election whether American democracy stand as the strongest democracy of the
world or not. Democracy is a Culture 193 The two above examples show that democracy is
important from both dimensions being a culture or a process. Conclusion: In sum study of
democracy is both interesting and challenging. It is interesting because it is a common slogan for
almost all nation of the world. Particularly for those developing national which have emerged after
the Second World War It is equally challenging for the reason that in contemporary world its states
as an institutions and as a process has been taken with criticialized by the accommodation politically
analyst and even general public. Academically and analytically democracy is analyzed from both
dimensions as a culture as well as a process. The general public mostly takes up democracy with its
value by the challenging demands and support.
One cannot deny the crystal clear fact that procedural democracy in the absence of cultural democracy
is not only unfavourable but also dangerous because democracy advocates for values like inclusiveness,
coherence, and equitable societal ethos. In the absence of this ethos democratic process turns out to be
counterproductive. Undoubtedly, the electoral procedure is important, the success of democratic
culture depends upon its ability to inculcate values of tolerance, inclusivity, equity and rule of law.

For best democratic outcomes as a process, it is mandatory to implement it as a culture too. What is
democracy as a culture? The answer is something that has been enriched in our societies for periods.
Without having distinct democratic norms like justice, fairness, equality and liberty a society cannot
claim to have democratic culture. Democracy as a culture teaches the public to be conscious of their
rights and duties and make them vibrant and vigilant to promote democratic governments through their
active participation.

We have long known that procedural democracy if deficient in democratic culture is something to install
a political party in government only. Constitution and voting system which are the main pillars of
procedural democracy no matter how carefully crafted if the lack in cultural democracy, certainly will be
unable to teach the public to accept the existence of contrasting views and of politicians. The same is
happening nowadays in Pakistan when opposing parties want to bring no-confidence moves against the
current PM.

The countries which are having democratic cultures too are enjoying the fruits of their labour as they
have evolved democratic norms from ancient times. If we take a cue from British democracy which is
based on customs, it dates back to the Magna Carta 1215.

It is an evident fact that democracy does not nurture in a vacuum. It is significant, to instil democracy
first boost-up political, social and economic setup. Certainly, by doing so democracy in Pakistan can
promote good governance and assist to maintain public well-being.

Outlines:

1) Introduction

2) What kind of culture does democracy promote?

i) Non-dynastic politics

ii) The proper election manifestoes of political parties

iii) People do study the manifestoes of political parties

iv) Elected representatives know the problems of people

v) No rigging in the elections

vi) Patience and acceptance of results

vii) interaction of public representatives with a common person at the grass-root level
viii) Blot-free and morally pure leadership

ix) Equality

x) Political and economic freedom

xi) Justice

xii) No gender discrimination

xiii) Protection of fundamental rights

xiv) Equal distribution of resources

xv) Vibrant media and civil society

3) Democracy in Pakistan

4) The drawbacks of our democratic system

5) How to deal with it?

6) Conclusion

The Democratic process is the process through which people elect their representatives after a certain
period through publically-held elections. The victory in elections of a political group or party results in
the formation of a government. This democratic process may or may not be able to provide the basic
necessities of life to the citizens, however, it forms the basis for the transition of government from one
political party or group to another political party or group. The level of maturity in the political process
varies from country to country. In some countries, democratic institutions are well-groomed and hence
provide the necessary political stability whereas in other countries the democratic system has not
evolved, and hence those countries mostly suffer from political turmoil. The continuity and stability of
the political process resulted in the evolution of a culture known as the democratic culture.

The democratic culture does not mean the mere continuation of electoral politics in a country rather it
proves very beneficial for the general public at the grass-root level. The fate of the political parties
functioning in a democratically civilized society does not revolve around a particular family or a group of
people. All races, religions, and genders are free to participate and attain high positions in the political
hierarchy according to their sincerity with the cause and their leadership skills. Political parties are also
responsible for publishing manifestos mentioning in detail how they will deal with the problems once
they come into power. The representatives of the political parties also convey their message to the
public through electronic media, print media, and public canvassing. In stable democracies, ordinary
people have good political sense and knowledge of contemporary issues. Thus they can judge from the
manifesto, and the leadership of a political party that how sincere is that particular party with the
masses. The educated public is ready to reject and give the opportunity of governance to another
political party in case the political party fails to deliver.

The other thing which is worth mentioning is the formation of shadow cabinets and the framing of the
policies by the political parties that they would follow after coming into power. Political parties follow
the "right man for the right job" policy and people are trained on how to run their ministries in case they
come into power. Each and every candidate knows the problems of the general masses and usually has a
clear mind on how to deal with the situation. In democratically civilized societies, elections are held in a
free and fair environment without any political intervention and political parties on the losing side admit
the victory of their opponents. No post-election protests or sloganeering takes place in such societies.
The political leadership remains in contact with their voters and the public even after their election to
assembly and high posts.

Cultured democracy results in freedom, equality, and justice for all. No one is put behind bars or is
restricted in his free will or free speech. Though everyone has the freedom to express views, no one is
allowed to use abusive language against the leaders or religious figures of a community, and none is
barred from his religious practices or ceremonies. The state delivers justice to all the sections of the
society irrespective of their caste, religious affiliation, race, and economic condition and no one is
considered above the law. The state does not promote any racial, religious, or gender discrimination;
instead, it deals with an iron hand with those elements which are involved in activities breaking the rules
of the state. As the fourth Caliph of Islam Hazrat Ali said,' No government can run a state without
justice". Quran stress consultation while deciding matters of governance but in the view of Islam the
true Islamic State is the one which not only elects rulers through people's will but the state also delivers
to the people.

Democratically tolerant societies have free electronic and print media. The media is free from any
political or governmental pressure and points out the wrongdoings of the political leadership and
problems related to the public. They are not rendered to any restrictions or prohibition if they act within
the ambit of law and free to expose corruption or immoral acts of the ruling class. Apart from the media,
civil society, and NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) also play a very active role in highlighting
issues related to the public interest. The government also gets valuable inputs from policy organizations,
thinkers, and intelligentsia to solve people’s problems.

In Pakistan, our elite has not allowed this democratic culture to develop and become ripe with time
because of the frequent military coups and interventions in the civilian sphere and confrontations
between political rivals. The history of Pakistan shows us that we have experienced four military
takeovers in 1958, 1970, 1978, and in 1999 excluding the period in which the military used to call shots
from the backseat. This has more to do with the civilian incompetence and inability than with the army
hegemony because the military has come to fill the gap left void by the civilians in their political
infraction. The decade-long political uncertainty and non-serious of the political elite resulted in the
military takeover in 1958. Almost the same was the situation in 1978 and 1999 when political
governments were overthrown. In the 1990s two political parties fought each other on the political turf
and helped non-democratic sections in their bid to get held off the civilian governments. In 1970 Army
General Ayub Khan handed over the reins of power to his other comrade General Yahya Khan. His
tenure resulted in the collapse of the country.
The problem with our democratic system is the hegemony of a few families over the political parties.
Almost all the mainstream political parties revolve around one person or another. The father is
succeeded by his son and his son then succeeds him and this cycle goes on. These influential people
never allow young blood to come to the top to deal with the crisis faced by the country. The manifestos
published by the political parties merely become pieces of paper, which no one studies due to the lack
of political awareness and illiteracy. Half of our population is illiterate and even most in the remaining 50
percent do not focus much on the issues surrounding us.  Political parties also don’t accept the results in
case their opponents win.

Most of the candidates use to be illiterate and do not have the vision and will to solve problems of the
masses. On top of that, a significant chunk of candidates tends to be from the elite class and landlord
families. They don’t have any knowledge about the problems faced by the poor but somehow elect
themselves through the baradari system and financial resources. However, if the big landlords find it
difficult to get elect themselves through general elections, they adopt an alternative way of rigging the
elections by bribing police and other relevant institutions which can impact the elections. Expecting
sincere efforts from such people who have no knowledge of the problems faced by the public at the
grass-root level that they will solve problems related to the public will be a mere dream or illusion.

In Pakistan, the state does not provide the environment for the public to enjoy freedom, liberty,
equality, and justice. The government imposes restrictions on the right of free speech and the right to
identify issues from time to time. Some of our popular private media houses are also under the
influence of several influential people or political parties, and thus they present biased views. The
unbiased sections of our media are still immature and will need time to evolve according to the
situation. Media also receives threats from certain sections of society if they report issues that can dent
the reputation of those sections. The views of civil society and intelligentsia and opposition are not given
the importance they required in the wake of constitutional legislation and policy framing. Legislations
take place mostly behind closed doors.

To develop a democratic culture and to cope with political instability we need some reforms in our
system of governance and way of politics. First of all, we need to educate our nation about political
happenings in the country and across the globe. This will help raise political awareness in short terms.
The political awareness in illiterate people will help us temporarily, but we need to educate our children
right from the start to produce critical and politically-aware minds. This will also contribute to breaking
the hegemony of a few families on the political sphere of Pakistan.  More educated people mean that
more people will thoroughly study the election manifestos of the political parties and will educate other
people too about contemporary issues. More educated young minds will join electoral politics and as a
result, a change in the governance structure will come sooner or later.

We need a system that filters corruption-free and transparent leadership from the corrupt political lot.
This system should also provide a rig-free election environment where every person can cast a vote to
whichever political party he wants to. The political leadership should also be made responsible to accept
the results of the election held under such a transparent system and should not be allowed to hold
violent protests in the aftermath of elections. The elected representatives should also be in constant
contact with the public, the community leaders, and prominent personalities in the society which can
help them guide towards the solution of issues.
The government should also protect the fundamental rights of human beings. No one should be allowed
to usurp freedom of speech, freedom of action, and freedom of formation of political groups and
unions. Each and every citizen should be treated with equality irrespective of caste, creed, culture,
religion, etc. Women should also be given equal opportunities and they should not be hindered from
taking part in the political process. Free and timely justice should be provided by the state to its citizens,
and no one should be given the right to snatch away the rights of the poor sections of the society. No
one should be allowed to force someone to change his religion or beliefs.

Vibrant media and a vibrant civil society are the order of the day for the evolution of the democratic
process into a democratic culture. Media; both print and electronic should be allowed to work freely
without any political or state pressure but under some norms and injunctions. There should be some
rules and regulations for the media to put an end to the widespread sensationalism and the race of
breaking news. Civil society should also play an active role in educating people and raising awareness
among the public.

Civilian leadership should also play a much mature role while dealing with political issues. The
government should consult opposition on all matters dealing with the public interest, and equal
importance should be given to their views. The military leadership should also limit their role to what
they were ought to. The speech of Quaid-e-Azam is a solution to all the problems in which he told that
Army will obey the elected representatives. Last but not least, we as the citizens of Pakistan should also
perform our duty of voting for honest people in general elections.

The onus now falls upon us whether we want our society to thrive as a real cultured democratic society
or not. The answer surely is yes, but we need to give our democratic process some time to let it evolve
into a stable and enduring governance system. The evolution with time will remove discrepancies and
will bring a democratic culture that revolutions can never bring. Look at the democracies in the United
States of America and the United Kingdom which produced fruitful results but after a lengthy
evolutionary of decades and centuries.

The actual definition of democracy is when a society adopts democratic concepts, attitudes, and
values in its social, economic, and political sectors. Every stage of life involves socialisation for a
person. A responsible citizen who can distinguish between good and wrong and lives by the standards
and ideals of a society is the final result. Similar circumstances apply to democracy, which
progressively transforms from a procedure into a culture. The members of society are influenced by
this democratic culture in terms of both behaviour and cognition. The genuine benefits of democracy
are thus available to the populace. It is the democratic culture that grows the souls of these
institutions by fostering a culture of accountability, the rule of law, and civic engagement. While the
continuity of the democratic process is necessary for the establishment of institutions like electoral
systems, state institutions, and government bodies Even while some nations have a democratic vision,
a simple examination of the global system reveals that tyranny and oppression—which run counter to
democratic ideals—have developed in places where there is no democratic culture.

A democratic process is essential, but it's not the only condition for a democracy to work well. It
merely develops democracy's outward forms, such as the legislative branch, judicial branch, executive
branch, and electoral system. Contrarily, democratic culture upholds democratic values, ensuring that
these institutions achieve their social, political, and economic obligations. As a result, it symbolises a
set of values that are linked to the moral, religious, and symbolic history of every civilization. The
democratic culture instils democratic values in people's hearts and minds, ensuring that their deeds
and choices benefit democracy as a whole. More significantly, it is flexible and adapts to threats to
democracy from the outside, ensuring that the true spirit of democracy is passed on to next
generations.

The promise of free and fair elections will never be realised in a nation without a democratic culture.
One of the traits that distinguishes democracy is elections. They guarantee both the continuation of
the democratic process and the transfer of democratic authority. The entire point of elections and the
voting process is for citizens to choose legislators who will represent them in government. However,
in the absence of a democratic culture, the electoral process merely turns into a tool for ineffective
politicians to seize power by stealing the mandate of the people. All around the world, dictators
manipulate referendum results to give themselves the appearance of legitimacy. They impose their
own will on the populace using the cover of "democracy." Similar to this, absent a democratic culture,
voters often cast their ballots based only on their ethnicity, religious beliefs, and political allegiances,
completely disregarding the candidate's performance.

The 2006 elections in Uganda serve as a prime illustration of how rigged elections are commonplace in
nations where democracy is only seen as a tool for retaining power. The Museveni-led administration
was accused of intimidating opposition politicians and their followers during the election, including by
arresting and detaining them. However, a democratic culture ensures free, fair, and transparent
elections through a system. Furthermore, without a democratic culture, state institutions created
through the democratic process will never be able to carry out their duties responsibly. The
development of democracy in any nation depends on the strength of its primary state institutions,
including the legislature, executive branch, and judiciary. They exist to enact laws. apply them and
administer justice in accordance with the fundamentals of constitutional government. However, in the
absence of a democratic culture, politicians exploit public funds for their own benefit, and the legal
system is unable to deliver quick and affordable justice. 

Such extractive institutions result in corruption being endemic and good government becoming a pipe
dream, as stated in the book Why Nations Fail. Conversely, a democratic culture would promote
institutions that are welcoming to all. Similar to this, creating political organisations is pointless
without party leaders who uphold democratic principles. Political parties are one of democracy's main
forces. Through election campaigns, they give regular people a forum to realise their political
aspirations and increase public awareness. The absence of a fully developed democratic culture is
uncommon, nevertheless. In such families, the political parties are governed by a single family that
treats them like a family business. So, for decades, a single family controls the party and, in some
circumstances, the entire nation. But in a democratic society, democracy begins at the local level.
Intra-party elections are common, and political workers are taught democratic ideas from a young
age. Additionally, a nation's economic system and the development of true democracy are closely
related. Economic instability is typically more common in nations without a democratic culture due to
a lack of institutional checks and balances and an overabundance of state-owned businesses.
Decisions rarely result in economic prosperity because they are typically political in nature. Contrarily,
democratic culture supports market economy and encourages the practise of economic liberalisation.
Additionally, democratic culture supports the idea that everyone has the freedom to achieve their
economic aspirations. As a result, the economy as a whole grows and per capita income rises. Paul
Collier identified a $2700 per capita income as one of the "5 misconceptions about the beauty of the
vote box" in his book. Without a democratic culture, a free and responsible media becomes an
unreachable ideal. 

Media monitors abnormalities in a democratic system and acts as an unbiased watchdog over public
institutions. Its goals are to influence public opinion and educate people about democratic principles.
However, in the absence of a culture that values democracy, the media serves only as a tool of
oppression in the hands of despots and inept leaders. They employ it as a tool for propaganda and
indoctrination as well as to rally support for their own agenda. The Indian media under Narendra
Modi is a shining example in this regard. He has been charged by a number of intellectuals with
exploiting the Indian media to sway public opinion. The protection of fundamental rights, which are
regarded as one of democracy's most important prerequisites, is also of utmost importance. Most
nations have constitutions that safeguard some fundamental rights, like the right to life, to practise
one's religion, to speak freely, and to privacy. However, leaders shamelessly disrespect basic human
rights when there is no democratic culture present. The end effect is a society that appears to be
democratic but is actually authoritarian. Because of this, democracy cannot develop in such cultures
because the environment does not favour it. 

The establishment of a harmonious social order and respect for one's own individual dignity are tied
to the existence of a democratic culture. As a result, civic society and the government both exert their
full efforts. If people in charge are unwilling to adhere to democratic values, rule of law becomes a
faraway ideal. No one is above the law, and all citizens are treated equally, thanks to the rule of law.
In the absence of a democratic society, individuals in charge routinely engage in criminal activity and
corruption and escape punishment. The majority of the burden of this discriminatory legislation falls
on the weaker groups in society. While the powerful are shielded from all harm, they are penalised
for minor offences. 

On the other hand, everyone is treated equally in a democratic society. No one has a competitive
advantage overBy fostering democratic culture in a society, one can teach people the values of
democracy. Since the family is the fundamental building block of a society and culture, it is crucial that
democratic ideals are inculcated in young children from an early age. Democratic culture is acquired
through socialisation much like any other culture. Due to the fact that it gives a child their first
opportunity to interact with others, families can thus play a significant part in the establishment of
democratic customs, traditions, norms, and values. Similar to that, it is crucial to pass on democratic
culture to the next generation, and education is one way to do that. Every civilization needs
education, but democracies especially need it. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "If a nation expects
to be ignorant Democracy is not just its institutions put together. The growth of a democratic civic
culture is crucial for the health of a democracy. 

A people's ability to govern themselves is defined by their behaviours, practises, and norms, not by
their works of art, literature, or music in this sense. According to the essay, democratic culture is
essential for every society to reap the genuine benefits of democracy. This exhorts all nations to give a
democratic culture priority worldwide. The secret to success in this regard is to educate the populace
about the value of democratic culture through socialisation agents. In a nutshell, the development of
a democratic culture results from the evolution of democracy, which in turn.
DEMOCRACY IS A CULTURE RATHER THAN PROCESS (CSS 2012)
Outline
A. Introduction
Thesis Statement: Democracy is a culture as well as process. Pakistan has both culture and process, but
both are weak.
B. Democracy is both culture and process. How?
1. Culture of accountability
2. Culture of tolerance
3. Fairness and social justice
4. Equality
5. Free and fair elections
6. Free media
7. Constitution
8. Independent judiciary
C. Limitations of democracy
D. Pakistan has weak democratic culture and process. How?
1. Constitution needs amendments
2. Unconstitutional dissolution of the Parliament
3. Freedom of media is prevented
4. Political and religious intolerance
5. Lack of accountability
6. No independent judiciary
7. Rigging of elections
E. Causes
1. Military intervention
2. Illiteracy
3. Feudalism
4. Colonial mentality
5. People are not emancipated culturally and economically
6. The rulers are not people’s real representatives
7. Ethnic politics
8. Multiparty system
F. Effects
1. Political instability
2. No economic growth
3. Crisis of good governance
4. Frustration
5. Tarnishes image of the country
6. Foreign policy in doldrums
G. Remedies
1. Promote education
2. Establish industrialization
3. Strengthen media and judiciary
4. Elect charismatic leadership
5. Eliminate colonial mentality
6. Empower women politically and economically
7. Abolish feudalism
H. Conclusion

QUOTES :

In the words of Theodore Roosevelt:

A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy.

 The dictum, “ Some are born to rule and others to obey.” is rejected. Abraham Lincoln once defined
democracy as:

 “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

Bernard Shaw has defined democracy as:

“A social order aiming at the greatest available welfare of the whole population and not for a class.”

 “The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.”

“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right … and a
desire to know.”
—John Adams, 1765

“One of the keys to the survival of free institutions is the relationship between private and public life,
the way citizens do, or do not, participate in the public sphere.”
—“Loyalty must arise spontaneously from the hearts of people who love their country and respect their
government.”
—Hugo L. BlackRobert N. Bellah

“Without deviation, without exception, without any ifs, buts, or whereases, freedom of speech means
you shall not do something to people for views they have, express, speak, or write.”
—Hugo L. Black

“Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community
over chaos.”
—George W. Bush, 2001 Inaugural Address

 An informed people is one of the best guarantees of a continuing democracy. Harry f.bank

The only thing wrong with democratic process is the failure to use it. Seymour graubard