ISLAMABAD: The unanimous passage of the 20th Constitutional Amendment by the bi-cameral Parliament is another milestone of the ruling dispensation, which would prove to be a giant leap towards further underpinning the democratic set up in the country, former ambassador B A Malik said.
The 20th amendment would ensure free, fair and transparent general elections as its unanimous adoption came into being as a result of fair play by elected representatives, he said in a statement. "The amendment has been criticized by a few disgruntled politicians without understanding it's positive features. This change is not PPP-PML-N specific", it said.
Besides the validation of 28 by-elections to the Parliament that is not it's central focus, the provisions pertaining to neutral caretaker set up and an independent election commission were a quantum leap forward in the right direction, Malik added.
"Fair elections have been guaranteed by the introduction of neutrality and independence into the machinery tasked to conduct the next general polls. My only reservation is that the change has come a little late but it is never too late if the move is on the right side of history," Malik said.
He said process to appoint a powerful and independent caretaker set up should dispel all apprehensions in the minds of skeptics and cynics who never accepted anything beyond the reach of their limited understanding.
He was critical of the military takeovers in the country as he saw it's history as full of bitter experiences and twists at the hands of power hungry nexuses.
"The constitution was abrogated six times by charlatans like Ghulam Muhammad, Sikander Mirza, Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq and Musharraf who corrupted the process of political development and hampered the setting up of a model Islamic democratic welfare state," he said.
Explaining his viewpoint, Malik said, "by establishment here I mean a mixed coterie of power hungry Generals, self seeking politicians, profit centred Big Business, neo colonial type of bureaucracy, saleable commodity called intellectuals, religious extremists and last but not the least the United States of America," he said.
Malik said great leaders like first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, founder of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto were among others who were either exiled or eliminated by the then establishment.
He said it was not less than a miracle that the country survived despite the machinations of the internal and external enemies of the state.
"One redeeming feature of the other wise bleak political syndrome is that the Army and the United States perhaps for the first time have pulled back from their traditional hostility to democracy in Pakistan. This is a positive development of far reaching implications," the envoy said.
The envoy said the next elections would be a litmus test for the politicians who have to show the world that democracy can work in Pakistan. "Fair elections will guarantee evolutionary change which is the battle cry of many new and old political leaders."
He said the constitutional amendments would help strengthen democracy and making Pakistan's defence impregnable.
"Democracy based on transparent polls will also help dispel the erroneous impression that Islam and democracy cannot coexist," he said and hoped, an environment of extremism and terrorism will be replaced by a structure of peace and tolerance.
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