Education and Democracy - A Pakistani Perspective

Democracy has proven to be the best form of government, predominating in developed nations, whose smooth operation is dependent on certain factors. Its two-pronged approach of direct elections and representative government makes it a viable option for developing countries. It's a tried-and-true governing system that ensures political participation of all stakeholders, regardless of literacy level, socioeconomic knowledge, or political consciousness. People exercise their right to choose a leader through a transparent election process. A government formed by popular vote not only finds solutions to public issues, but also improves a country's political, economic, and foreign policy trajectory.

Rousseau advocated direct democracy in The Social Contract, where the ultimate source of sovereign power is the people, who have the right to elect a legitimate government to carry out laws. If it does not deliver, it can be deposed and replaced. Later, in the Second Treatise, Locke, another political philosopher, supplemented Rousseau's views. These fundamental beliefs laid the groundwork for democracy for scholars and state leaders who advocated for the use of this governing system to run a country. Most notably, former US President Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as "government of the people, by the people, for the people" and believed that "the ballot is stronger than the bullet." Because it provides an individual with the fundamental right to vote, through which he or she can exercise freedom and make a difference by electing a government of one's choice.

Allama Iqbal endorsed democracy as providing individuals with ultimate freedom and a conducive environment in which to grow in accordance with their abilities. He was, paradoxically, a harsh critic of Western democracy. Because of its quantitative approach, it ignores significant differences such as mental calibre, educational background, and other aspects of an individual that are required for perfect democracy.

Western democracies around the world have educated their people to raise sociopolitical awareness and empower them to choose the best leadership for governing a country. Education is important in strengthening democracy because it informs citizens about their constitutional rights, liberates them from mental poverty, and improves their ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Pakistan has the lowest literacy rate in 2021, implying that 60 million people in Pakistan are illiterate. Due to a lack of educational institutions in underprivileged provinces such as Baluchistan and the Waziristan area, militancy rose sharply, eventually posing threats to Pakistan's national security, as in the APS Peshawar attack.

Despite the commitment under Article 25-A to provide free education until the age of 16, more than half of the population remains illiterate. A true democracy cannot be established until the masses are educated. Unfortunately, feudalism has tainted the history of the country. In pursuit of personal gain and political power, feudals entered politics in order to expand their unchecked influence over underprivileged residents, who primarily consisted of poor peasants and their families who lived and worked on their lands. They were subjected to physical and psychological abuse and had no autonomy in exercising their constitutional rights, including the right to vote. Despite land reforms implemented in 1959 to divide large land holdings among poor peasants into smaller ones. And small farmers were a step toward breaking down the feudal mindset and politically strengthening Pakistan's underprivileged landless peasants. However, under military rule in the 1980s, the land reforms were declared incompatible with Islam. Since then, landlords have wielded political power, easily winning elections thanks to a slew of votes cast by their peasants, workers, and others under their control.

The Quaid-e-Azam wished to raise a democratic flag in the country. Unfortunately, his untimely death within a year of independence left the country in ruins and chaos. Despite a difficult journey, the Constituent Assembly succeeded in establishing Pakistan's first constitution in 1956. It provided a constitutional commitment to parliamentary government, with the separation of powers being the most important feature. It ensured the smooth operation of provincial and federal institutions, which was the first step toward long-term democracy. A series of political events that caused instability, institutional mismanagement, an economic crisis, and external threats were enough to justify the first coup in 1958.

In the midst of infamous military rules, democratic regimes, though inconsistent, continued their efforts to put the country on a democratic path by drafting a new constitution based on the presidential model in 1962. However, that was also repealed in 1969. Pakistan's history is marred by dictatorial rule, massive corruption, and leaders' narrow focus on national interests; strengthening state institutions was never on their agenda. Pakistan received its last constitution in 1973, which is still in effect with a few major amendments. It was suspended from 1977 to 1985, and then again from 1999 to 2003, when the country was returned to a democratic regime through transparent elections. Throughout the turbulent journey of being subjected to totalitarian regimes. Pakistan was run in the absence of legislatures for years, leaving the country without effective policy formulation during critical years.

Since 2008, every general election has been a source of contention between the winning political party and its opposition, with long marches disrupting law and order and slurs directed at the military establishment for its role in undermining election transparency. This is now the norm. Following its expulsion from the country's political scene, the establishment attempted to manipulate election results in order to achieve favourable results that would strengthen its grip on the country.

A country with a strong judiciary upholds the rule of law, protects free expression, and deters unconstitutional behaviour by other state institutions. However, military rulers used Pakistan's highest court platforms to justify their tenure and unconstitutional activities. During Pakistan's previous military regime, the NRO was established to cancel debts and criminal and political charges against politicians in exile. The ordinance was invalidated by an ex-chief justice of the Supreme Court who was unconstitutionally removed from office, but his successor later ratified it. The judiciary's flagrant violation of the Constitution proved disastrous. In Pakistan, civil institutions are used as scapegoats for mismanagement and poor institutional management. As a result, the public has begun to lose trust in state institutions, resulting in a democratic crisis if not addressed. Courts are already struggling to keep up with the massive backlog of cases. Their failure to deliver timely justice as a result of political interference in judicial proceedings, as evidenced by the granting of bail and the acquittal of senior members of the political mafia. Since time immemorial, the judiciary has maintained a strong foothold in societies dedicated to the rule of law. However, Pakistan's judicial history is marred by political appointments of senior judges to the Supreme Court in exchange for favourable verdicts.

In 2020, the Democracy Index ranked Pakistan 105th out of 165 independent nations, and it was classified as a "Hybrid Regime," one of four types of regimes: "full democracy," "flawed democracy," "hybrid regime," or "authoritarian regime." Countries that fall into the hybrid category, like us, have transparent elections with significant irregularities. Civil society in Third World countries is coerced not to speak out against state-sponsored violence. The establishment in Pakistan repeatedly attempts to demolish members of civil society who raise the issue of enforced disappearances across the country. The media, which in the modern world plays an important role in raising public awareness and educating the masses about issues confronting a country, is subject to censorship in Pakistan under stringent laws, which has become a norm for the government to crack down on dissenting voices. Misgovernance, including unchecked corruption and massive looting in government institutions, is a key reason why our institutions have not progressed beyond the developmental stage to achieve sustainability.

There are several steps that Pakistan must take in order to become a sustainable democracy. Education should be the government's top priority in order to help voters improve their mental health and political awareness. Land reforms are desperately needed to break feudal-based political clout. Frequent, free, and transparent elections are required to transfer power to those capable of running a country efficiently and smoothly. Political participation of all stakeholders is also required, as is the creation of an inclusive environment. This fosters a sense of participation among minorities, religious minorities, and marginalised groups who are frequently overlooked in the country's decision-making process. Military and civil institutions should have a good working relationship based on cooperation and harmony, and the concept of separation of powers, above all, must be understood and implemented. Another feature of a viable democracy in developed countries is institutional building, which ensures a corruption-free society through checks and balances and the formulation of robust policies in favour of rule of law to remove key impediments causing governance crises. 

Pakistan has worked hard since its inception to achieve political stability in order to withstand internal and external threats. However, a country marred by massive corruption, misgovernance issues, unending political warring, and civil-military rifts still has a long way to go before the country's leadership comes forward to work towards a common goal of achieving a viable democracy. However, the situation is not as bleak as it appears. There is always a way forward to achieve goals for the benefit of a country and future generations.