Democracy — currently the most prevalent form of
government in the world in which people have a say in the legislation process —
is supposed to guide a nation to correct, fruitful decisions through healthy
debates and discussions.
These discussions, however, become futile when we
fail to tolerate difference of opinion, which is a fundamental principle of
true democracies.
It has been customary for elected governments
around the world to hit a stalemate every now and then, but then amicable
solutions are brought to the table through meaningful dialogue and
negotiations.
All these measures become counterproductive when
political discourse is overwhelmed by demeaning and insulting tactics instead
of ethical, moral and logical reasoning.
Political leaders in a true democracy are
cherished for their integrity, vision and service to their nations. However, it
is unfortunate that in our case, the public tends to portray its leaders as
‘flawless heroes’ who should be considered above criticism by one and all,
including those who happen to disagree with them.
In civilised societies, debates are encouraged in
the media and on other platforms to help the general public form an opinion
Pakistan is currently going through several
crises — monsoon devastations, a steep fall in the rupee’s value, soaring
inflation, and political turmoil — that have shaken the country to the core.
There is a palpable sense of financial insecurity and restlessness in society.
If they continue unabated, these crises may lead to serious chaos. We need
urgent, concrete measures to come out of the quagmire. But we have not even
begun to work to that end.
political tug of war has also ignited the
sentiments of enmity, intolerance and violence in every nook and corner of the
country.
People have become short-tempered and the
threshold for brawls has markedly decreased. Deteriorating law and order, as
evidenced by a rising crime rate, has also aggravated the problem.
It is high time political forces sat together and
settled their differences. Leaders must promote tolerance and decency and
become role models for their followers instead of locking horns every now and
then over petty things.
To sum it up, we must adopt a national approach
to set the country on the road to prosperity. The clock is ticking, mind you.
Published in Dawn
