In Pakistan, we have been dealing with the result of a martial culture. Without making changes to military mindset, we will not be able to lift the barriers that have been blocking the progress of democracy in Pakistan. Asserting that the greatest gift a military can give to the people of Pakistan is for the people to rule themselves and for military to making a permanent pledge to not ever involving in politics again. Men like Washington and Lincoln, who formed one of the great democracies of the world, were themselves of military-backgrounds, but they are remembered to this day for the modern societies and democracies they helped form. While Pakistan was founded on the principles of democracy that democracy is in fact trampled underfoot every day even now. No nation in the world ever has been able to achieve true civilization under a military tutelage.
Because there actually is a martial culture and mindset which has been busy preparing these repetitive scenarios for us in Pakistan. We are still dealing with the results of such a culture. Actually, what we really need to be focused on is changing this culture, which is so critical in nurturing progressive democratic stances. The basic roots of democracy do exist in Pakistan; however, there have been really no consistent steps taken to develop democracy, there is no system of education on this front. The educational system in Pakistan must be changed. You cannot lift the barriers blocking the way forward for democracy in Pakistan without altering the martial system of military, the mindset through education. This is just so clear. But this has not been ever a topic of debate in Pakistan to this day. There is no doubt that the most powerful institution and a political party in Pakistan has been the army. Well, of course, Pakistan’s strength is in proportion to the power and strength of its own military. But the military needs to be a military that is united with the people and serves them. And this is what consistent democratic process brings about. The world`s most powerful military exists in places like America. But this military never could say things like “I am going to manage the country.” To the contrary, in fact, the military always stands before civilian management and asserts that it is subject to the will of the civilians elected by the people.
My main goal through life has been to gather constructive ideas that would help Pakistan and the Pakistani people. In the end, we are a people who believe in merit, and we accept and uphold everything that highlights justice, fairness& & rights, beauty and humanity. Sometimes we may kick up a lot of dust, screaming and yelling, but in the end, the water settles and becomes clear, and that which we really care about rises to the top and we accept it.
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We will overcome the problems of these differences by talking about them. But the whole concepts of neighborhood pressure and alien dictates are really ridiculous. It is impossible in a society which has been changed so much. Of course, I am not trying to say that extremes don`t exist in Pakistani society. But the radicals really remain small in numbers but still cause so much commotion and chaos. They are a minority but still go on causing sabotage and killings. And the best system for proving that they are only a weak minority is through an ongoing process of democracy based on honest elections. We have watched people who used to get 20 percent of the vote in our elections dwindle away to only 2-3 percent of the vote.
Pakistan, like Turkey is equilibrating today between secular and sacred. Turkey has been secular since its start and has been Islamizing while Pakistan has been secularizing from radical distortions of Islam. There are groups which have turned secularism or& radical Islam into a flag for themselves and who aim to become political powers using this, but these two extreme groups at either end of the spectrum& are not only not secular or Muslims, they are not really democratic, either.
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