OUR socio-politico, economic and constitutional imbroglio suggests that one institution’s accountability is somebody’s revenge. One man’s mandate is other man’s denial. The people are made to follow archaic colonial rules.

They are expected to believe whatever their representatives say in parliament as truth. As a result, society feels suffocated. Despite the fact we have an education policy, we have multiple education systems — Cambridge, Oxford and madressah education. Similarly, we have a judicial set-up in the form of high courts and the Supreme Court, but at the same time we have panchayat and jirga.

For security and safety, the state has a police system yet common citizens are afraid of lodging an FIR or a complaint against a culprit. As a result, there are a welfare concept and a tribal system.

It seems that the state and people do not agree on the constitution. This is why every now and then we see institutions up against each other.

This indicates there is a need for the state to enter into a new social contract involving citizens to negotiate directly with or without involving their public representative as a middle man.

If the state really wants to behave like a mother, it must devise a framework for a new social contract. People must be free to choose the laws under which they live.

Ashfak Ahmed Siyal

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2019