Authority’s Abhor for Freedom

Freedom is under duress. Authority hitherto remains hegemonic in Pakistan. The sense of belonging is yet to accommodate in the echelons of power. The symbiotic twins-establishment and real-politic- float up in a novel form after every failed attempt by the establishment. It demonstrates that the powerful trust no one but themselves though delusively.

Pakistan, in real sense, has never experienced welfare, justice, individual freedom and representative democracy. That is, it doesn’t regard in its core for a collective responsibility that emanates from a genuine and sustainable republicanism. One reason is categorical; dismal education system has been contributed negatively to undo and disrespect notions of freedom, justice, welfare and cooperation. Certainly, the ruling elites will never intend to reform the flawed education system on account of their hold on power largely due to the feudal mentality of the illiterates which is the result of elite-capture of the state.

This absence of quality education ensues the death of creative evolution in a society. Being part of such a society, one finds it hard to stick to reason and intellect. Resisting authority often results in social isolation for critics. With greater resistance comes greater isolation and even it can be ended up in direct physical assault. Unfortunately, the assault comes not only from the cults but also from the authority.

Expecting a democratically stable country while ignoring the underlying features of democracy is one of the most consciously regressive pattern of behavior of political elites of the Third World countries like Pakistan. At the very basic, the elites must have to have faith in the rule of law, free and fair elections, transparency and accountability, and individual freedom. None of the above exists in the country, inhibiting progressivism. Yet the people are made peremptorily to believe in the system. The question needs to be revolved around, what is required to include the excluded, to benefit the ruled by making accountable the ruler, to uplift the poor by stretching out the capitalist cup of elites, and to prefer individual dignity to outraged patriotism?

What Pakistan didn’t do since its inception is to make freedom triumphed over fear. On the contrary, it did what it didn’t. That is, fear has always been a dominant tool used by the authorities to undo freedom. That problematized the very ideals of state on which it is based. Founders of Pakistan never envisioned a state without freedom or with fear. The elites either don’t know about the founders, or they don’t want to know, or simply they don’t want to follow them in their dealing with public.

What ruling elites know for sure, is, how to gain and manipulate power? How to befool the public knowing that majority of them don’t even know their rights and duties of government. Again, certainly one has to point to the flawed education system. Subject of Civics must be made compulsory in schools, colleges and all Universities. It may engender some sort of dereliction for knowing the very basics regarding what people need to do and what government needs to provide to people enshrined in the constitution. Also, constitution of 1973 must be made part of the curriculum.

Social formation precedes state formation. No one can deny that society was there long before the creation of Pakistan. Once state is formed, society becomes what state wants it to be. Perennially, state’s regulating of the society is problematic on account of its invariable experiments. This led us to a Collective Fall; self-appointed messiahs have had their role in this. It is never been cataclysmic; rather it seems an organized and unrelenting fall.

Since its inception, Pakistan’s ruling elites have been tried one after another experiments unequivocally, although, not cognizant of what democracy, freedom, welfare and progressivism are? From democratic Islamism enshrined in objectives resolution to Islamic socialism under Bhutto, and from Islamic fundamentalism under Zia to enlightened moderation of Musharraf, all did nothing except polarizing and dogmatizing the public. None of these experiments beard results in favor of sustainable and enduring freedom, democracy, transparency, collective responsibility and people’s welfare. Instead, these only satisfied the interests of their creators. This is how personalized politics engenders decay of both state and society.

Undoubtedly, the responsibility lies on the shoulder of the state to keep the social contract alive. The onus is on the ruling elites to rethink their understanding of the republicanism. Common men with common sense cannot creatively make progress until the institutions above them make them so. Unfortunately, authoritative and arbitrary running of institutions of the state by the feudal, industrial, military and judicial class has resulted in triggering a mistrust among the people. This is why people are susceptible to the authority in a sense that they don’t have other choices but to compromise their freedom. Thus, democracy never worked in Pakistan and freedom remains under duress from the authority. It certainly has shaken the optimism of a common man. 

Tahir Kamal Wazir

The writer is a lecturer at Bahria University, Islamabad.

This author does not have any more posts.