The Pakistani “Awam” is once again bracing for change. It has nothing to do with the price hike in Ramadhan, that’s normal for every year, but it’s the change in the political system. The one, which comes before any, scheduled elections in Pakistan. The one, which has kept any elected government from keeping its tenure. No, no I am not talking about another military general taking over an existing military general. I know its October 7th and we are very close to October 12, but don’t panic.
If you are familiar with current Pakistani politics, the debate over the type of governance is once again heated up, should Pakistan have a presidential system or an independent parliament. If you are really familiar with Pakistani politics, these debates are initiated as way to smother up the public opinion. Yes, it’s an age-old debate, and its been argued over in every Pakistani newspaper for the last few weeks. A lot of questions come to mind why and why now? “Why would you change it if its not broken?” The answer is with the President, what can I say, he is in-charge. May be, the current administration, is not satisfied with the current system of governance. But all these questions are not important, the most important question is that would that help the ordinary Pakistani citizen?
The way Pakistan is being governed would be changed, but honestly would that change the ground reality fort the 160 million Pakistanis. Let me just give you a snap shot, the largest sector of the Federal or State Government employees are the 3 million clerks which work in pay scale 8-16 with an average pay from 3000 rupees ($50) to 5000 rupee ($ 83) per month. Now within the last five years their pay has only increased by 3%. Imagine in a country where the average household spends 48% of its income on food, what kind of disposable income they would have. One the other hand the allowance for the 342 parliamentarians is increased by 100% this year. 75% percent of the Pakistanis are living bellow the poverty line, which means that they cannot even make 675 rupees per month. About 10 million Pakistani are waiting for the courts to provide judgment on millions of pending cases in our judicial system. Not to mention million upon million living under the absolute rule of Jagirdars for their daily living. But all this would change since we are going to go from parliamentary system to a Presidential system, sure.
But changing the way in which Pakistan is governed will never change the ground reality for the ordinary Pakistani citizen. Police, the law or the constitution does not protect the ordinary Pakistani citizen, he is just on the mercy of the people with power and money. If you look at it, in all the four provinces the Jagirdars have hold on millions and millions of citizen, on the other hand the same Jagirdars are also part of the administration and the army. So whom do you think that the administration would protect, the ordinary citizen?
If the President would realy like to change the system, he should have a simple plan for the people of Pakistan. Not like the one he had about enlightened moderation, or the Presidential system plan (which would be supported by the MMA as well). The plan should be simple and robust.
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Purging the constitution of all the amendments, especially the one done for personal leadership longevity.
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Land reform, canceling all the land ever given to any civil, military or political leader and give that for free to all the poor peasants. Confiscation of all land acquired by corruption.
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Provincial autonomy, allowing provinces control over all their income resources.
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Independent Judiciary and Election commission.
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The federal government with just four portfolios Health, Education, Defense and Finance.
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All non-Muslims as equal citizens.
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Establish minimum wages.
Not simple enough, but heck, these would for sure help the ordinary Pakistani citizens. But if you are expecting that by introducing a presidential system all this would change, and none of previously-know-corrupt-elements would form a new party and join the President then, then sure lets go for another five years with new elections under a new Presidentail system, as if we were not living under one since 1999.
The Pakistani Awam will then again wait for another credible excuse to make a change. By the way have you ever wondered why the Pakistani Awam is so slow to react on injustice?
