Shahra-e-Dastoor, in other words, Constitution Avenue is a road in the heart of the Islamabad which is, or at least should be symbolic to all the citizens of Pakistan. It is where the most important “Pillars of Democracy” are located; namely, the Parliament, the Executive, the Judiciary, the media and somewhat, the Army establishment.

It’s where the citizens of this country have come to protest on many an occasion; to have their voices heard over matters such as the restoration of the Judiciary among others. Some voices louder than others. However, the question remains: why is it that in a “Democratic” country in today’s day and age, where the people elect their representatives, do they have to come to this Shahra again and again to protest issues such as the killing of journalists who convey the truth to the masses?

In any democratic country, the most basic right of the people is freedom of speech and the security of its citizens. And yet, every time a person speaks the truth, they tend to get muted under mysterious circumstances. Fingers get pointed towards the security establishments and agencies but the truth is never made available to the public.

In the past three years, 48 journalists have been abducted and killed with the most recent one being Salim Shehzad. Out of these 48 cases, not even one has been thoroughly investigated and no reports have surfaced. So then, is it the security agencies that are to be blamed? Each time a finger gets pointed towards these agencies, the person pointing the finger is termed as “anti-state” and “anti- establishment”. Leaving some room for the benefit of the doubt, it makes one wonder why the agencies are so resilient over conducting these investigations.

Even if one of such pending investigations is carried out in a 100 per cent transparent manner, the masses may start respecting and trusting these agencies again. It is unfortunate for the citizens of Pakistan to know that the agencies that they are affording each year through hefty budgets are the ones that cannot be trusted. A little more time spent doing their actual job, which is to protect the people, may actually help our agencies in getting their credibility back.

Also, the responsibility naturally gets extended towards the “friendly opposition” sitting in the parliament. It is their job to press the government on issues that are ignored rather than thinking up ways to regain the “Kursi”.

“Izhar-e-Yakjehti” to the extent of making appearances and political “bayans” backed by a political agenda to gain limelight does not do any good. Fortunately, even the public is now well-aware of these facts, which is why there is a common dislike for politicians not just in the educated, but also in the lower-income class of Pakistan. Having said that, it makes one wonder, how these representatives of the public get elected over and over again.

What is “Dastoor” to us then? A question hard to answer by any Pakistani at the moment. The only thing evident is that we’re in dire need of it. It is “Dastoor” which will bring our country back in order, put electricity into our fans, put sugar into our cups, put deserving candidates in the parliament seats, put competent officers in the security agencies and hopefully put sasti or at least affordable roti into the mouths of the millions that are starving at the moment. It may also put a liking for political parties and the establishment back into the hearts of the people of Pakistan and bridge the ever-expanding gap between the public and their representatives.

The writer is a student at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.