How can we turn our beloved country Pakistan into a genuine and stable democratic state? Ideas please!
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
people should stop turning to islam for every little question they have and start using their own brains
stop supporting religious leaders trying to involve in anything else
disband isi
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
I will add some more...
genuine federation
and true provincial autonomy
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Grand ideas. But charity must start at home. Ours is a patriarchal society. Most of Pakistan is run by an autocratic person who decides on just about everything that goes on in the family. Our businesses r run in a dynastic manner. Even companies listed on the stock exchange give two hoots about general body members. SO u can disband with the ISI and what not but fact is we need a much larger social change as well that should get rid of the dynastic politics which is hindering the growth of proper, disciplined political parties in Pakistan.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Rightly said by FOL , first of all we should be bringing democracy to our homes , work places . Once we start treating people according to our religion , treat our mothers , sisters well , give them their rights , manage good relations with our neighbours and colleagues , things gona start changing for Pakistan .
For changing the country we call Pakistan , we must change as a nation , every individual has to change .
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
If we want democracy, we have to re-elect the President in uniform or martial Law will have to be imposed.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
- people should stop turning to islam for every little question they have and start using their own brains
What has that got to do anything with democracy? Stop being religophobic.
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2. stop supporting religious leaders trying to involve in anything else
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Rather we could focus on choosing leaders based on their characters instead of simply abadoning leader invoving in politics.
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3. disband isi
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That is one monster we can't shoot, just like we cannot stop military taking over country in every decade.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Egjaktly. Leaders for life 
… Altaf, Bibi, Qazi, “Pakistan needs me” etc.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
genuine democracy starts at the grass roots level ( so efforts must be made on that front as Aliyish mentioned) but how to do away with the crop at the top (the feudal, industrial, military nexus that FOL alluded to). We have a 'top down' approach/system working in our country since the past 50 plus years. The bottom up approach will be a dream come true but are we ready for that. Much depends on our diminishing 'middle-class' which unfortunately isn't as vibrant, active and politically inclined as is the case in India.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
We need to start by completely reorganizing the army. The current setup of hundreds of generals doing absolutely nothing needs to go. The army needs to be put at the mercy of the people's elected representatives and not the other way around.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Can’t agree more with FOL and Aliyish in this thread.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
force to have only two parties in country , and election with in party should be must and there should be register voters for each party and parties should be forced to grow from down to up rather then from top to down as it happens these days
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Rightly said by FOL , first of all we should be bringing democracy to our homes , work places . Once we start treating people according to our religion , treat our mothers , sisters well , give them their rights , manage good relations with our neighbours and colleagues , things gona start changing for Pakistan .
For changing the country we call Pakistan , we must change as a nation , every individual has to change .
I was about to agree wholeheartedly with this poster till I saw the qualifier "acc to religion". It is in the name of religion that women are treated as a third class people to start with - if you want equal rights you have to come out and admit "whether islam provides for it or not, women and men shall be treated equally". Otherwise there is very little difference between the so calleed scholars of islam claiming all is great to treat women as property and yourself.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
pehaly “men be treated equally” to karnay do is qaum ko 
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
We have a habit of being cynical. Pakistan has made progress. Democracy is a process. It is a journey not destination.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
It is same with America, when will the 'same faces' retire? People over here approach it differently, they do not set time line and freak out. Democracy in Pakistan is a process just like it was with America over 200 years ago. It takes time. As long as court and media are free, politicians will be exposed. People will learn from their mistakes.
Last thing we need to do is set a specific deadline for "democracy", which from this thread only we can understand has different meaning by the day. Let's go for stability.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
It is not easy because those leaders are the founders of their party or carry the last name. Just look at Imran, how many workers he has let grow into leadership? It is a prime example and their members stay loyal by either staying in the party or being quite. Strom Thurmond, you remember was a racist and hypocrite, but because he was the 'senior' so just for the respect of it the party members did not oppose him wholeheartedly. It is the nature of politics, but at the end of the day when people know the facts, these people get their ultimate fate.
I have read the U.S history. It was not good, they had to struggle to abide by their constitution. They always had politicians who considered themselves above law and at the end of the day it was media and court who exposed them so that they meet their ultimate fate. I know we can not compare our media to U.S for example, Lal Masjid, but as long as they are doing their investigative journalism and openly questioning the government, some good will come out of it.
I think we have made enormous progress from 1997 to 2007. Yes, our problems have not been eliminated but look how we have conquered difficulties. From a potential war with India to a peace process. Earthquake, floods and threat of terrorism. Pakistan is still there and we are hoping for democracy. I think people are more empowered than they were 10 years ago. Nobody was openly showing dissent towards government like they are doing it right now.
I think we have made crucial steps and learned a lot from our mistakes. I see it as an improvement.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
pardon my skepticism, i would have agreed with you if qazi, fazl, nawaz, BB, imran, altaf etc had retired and new blood emerged, I mean god damn it, how will u see progress with the same people with the same mentality and same view points in running to lead/loot the nation.
wow! just struck me reading this...THERE ARE NO NEW LEADERS in PAKISTAN THAT EMERGED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS..almost a decade!
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
Educate the masses, provide them with jobs, and give them a reason to believe that a democracy is worth fighting for... After succesive rounds of Democracy, people are completely dissillusioned... If a political system is put in place where people rights are looked after, where there is justice, and progress, then people will realize that the Army is no solution to their problems.
Re: Democracy and Pakistan!
A big part of the reason is the army which through its abuse of power has created heroes out of people like the bhuttos and sharifs. Without the army, the sharif's would be nothing but uncouth sugar mill tycoons and the bhutto dynasty likely would have stopped with zulfi. Instead we had to endure "daughter of the east" before and now once again it seems.