Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq has said that his department intends to include ‘democracy in the curriculum to educate future generations on the merits of democracy and the demerits of dictatorship’. It remains unclear whether the topic will be introduced as a stand-alone subject or be included in the curricula of existing examination subjects.

Nevertheless, one hopes that practical experience helps its theoretical understanding. Given the country’s historical oscillation between democracy and dictatorship, and the cloudy issues plaguing governance, popular understanding likens democracy to a magic wand. Consider, for example, the criticism levelled against the current government for having failed to immediately resolve issues such as power generation. While no doubt the government must take responsibility for many such issues, a more nuanced understanding of democracy as an institutionalised system of governance is markedly absent.

Inculcating a true appreciation of the tenets of democracy will require much more than their inclusion in the school curricula. To understand why this system proves ultimately effective, the country’s leaders must lead by example; their democratic ideals must be reflected in their conduct. There have been too many failures on this count. Consider, for example, the shameful behaviour displayed recently by the PML-N’s Chaudhry Ghafoor and the PML-Q’s Bushra Gardezi in the Punjab Assembly.

Both the provocation offered and the reaction were unparliamentary in nature; the episode constitutes an insult to the dignity of the legislative house. Similarly undemocratic and disruptive behaviour was witnessed in February, when legislators were denied entry into the Punjab Assembly building after the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Sharif brothers.

For the nation to appreciate the logic of democracy, it must demonstrably be applied in its full meaning. Without an understanding of the characteristics of this system, politics in Pakistan will continue to be based on personalities rather than institutions, and democracy will remain a mere slogan.