THIS refers to the special report ‘The military strikes back 1999-2008’ (Dec2). True, overthrowing an elected government is ‘a treasonable offence’. But, the offence becomes legal when it is judicially or legislatively indemnified.

The courts did not fully exonerate the dictators. The elected legislatures did. The courts allowed novelty of a chief executive in uniform, or his lifelong tenure.

For instance, under Kelsen’s theory of law, if the first military coup d’état is followed by a succession of more coups, the last one will be a valid grund norm. Similarly, a violent civil movement in reaction to military usurpation will be as sacrosanct as a military overthrow.

The crux of the problem is demokratia sans demos. When civilians are overthrown, civil society remains silent. Why? During their tenure, the civilian autocrats do nothing to win civilian hearts. No welfare, no healthcare, no education, shelter and other basic facilities for the common man.

Sans tangible participation, democracy is a farce. Noam Chomsky calls even the American people a ‘bewildered people’. In the US, a handful of people make decisions for the unthinking herd.

Mohamad Asad Malick
Rawalpindi Cantt

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2017