ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Insti­tute of Legislative Develop­ment and Transparency (Pildat) has called for an immediate transition from the so-called hybrid system to a normal functional democracy.

“Deferring course correction may not be an option much longer. It may be a luxury the country of young Pakis­tanis cannot afford,” the institute said in its Quality of Democracy report for 2023.

It noted that democracy in Pakistan was stuck in a familiar and deepening rut at the end of 2023. The past year had only made the hoped transition towards improved democracy that much harder for the country now called an electoral autocracy by some international democracy rating think tanks.

Pildat report pointed out that remedies and lessons were obvious, but the people who have the power and capacity to pull the country out of the rut have not taken the right steps for the last 70 years.

It noted that the transition could be initiated with a simple change of perspective and by marshalling the required will followed by purposeful consultations in the National Security Committee.

Says chances of fair polls as bleak as they were in 2018; top parties appear ‘addicted to patronage of establishment’

“Will the coming election and the post-election arrangement provide a flip to move in that direction? It is difficult to be optimistic but on the first day of the new year, we re-dedicate ourselves to continue working for a democratic Pakistan despite the challenges on the horizon,” the report says.

The think tank said that prospects of general election fairness appear just as bleak as the 2018 general election largely agreed to be a manipulated election.

Despite the oft-repeated interference in the political process, leading political parties appear “addicted to the establishment’s patronage” to win a managed public popularity and form fractured governments.

The outgoing chief of army staff, rather conveniently and belatedly, publicly admitted to the Pakistan army’s interference in the political and electoral processes.

The report noted that political parties and popular leaders continually suffer from a crisis of confidence as their political fate depends not on their popularity or the cogence of their governance policies but how adept they are at keeping the military establishment positively engaged and play second fiddle.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024