Increasing democratic deficit

EDITORIAL: Whilst the Senate with its incomplete composition has completed the first year of its term on Wednesday, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) issued a report drawing a critique of its performance and the related issue of representation.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has kept deprived, on flimsy pretexts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of its 11 seats in the upper house of the bi-cameral parliament as well as its share of reserved women’s seats in the National Assembly to keep the main opposition party, PTI, at bay. It does not seem to bother the ECP or those at the helm if this amounts to denying the people of that province proper representation in parliament with serious implications for the democratic process.

Politicians in the ruling alliance do not tire of talking about upholding the Constitution when it suits their purposes, but have no qualms about undermining it to serve their needs.

A highly consequential example is that of the 26th constitutional amendment. As the present report recalls, the Senate approval of the amendment, marred by serious controversies, marked a significant shift in the country’s process of judicial appointments in addition to many other significant – and highly undesirable - changes.

Besides, beyond legal and political concerns the means by which the amendment was passed further eroded trust in the country’s legislative process. In this regard leaked audio recordings and testimonies, says the report, suggested that financial inducements, threats, and even abductions were used to secure votes of lawmakers. No surprise therefore that the opposition leaders accused the government of turning the senate into a “trading floor” where votes were allegedly bought and sold.

Sadly, this has been going on for quite some time, making Senate election time horse-trading, like financial corruption in high places, something normal rather than an unsavoury and shameful game of power. Overall, we have a serious democratic deficit with the state institutions veering away from constitutional provisions and principles.

The Pildat report card on the Senate performance goes on to note that during 2024-25 as many as 51 bills, a vast majority of them government sponsored, were passed (in most cases steamrolled through the House without necessary debate and discussion) while private members legislative activity saw a 63.8 percent decline.

The government also relied heavily on ordinances. The Senate held 65 sitting, a slight improvement on the previous year, but 16 sessions had to be adjourned due to lack of quorum.

Also the Leader of the House, who wears two hats as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, has had attendance rate of just 28 percent, the lowest in six years. The legislators need to take their work as seriously as they have the government initiative to give themselves hefty pay rise at the tax payers’ expense in addition to various perks and privileges.

The present report urges greater transparency, procedural integrity, and commitment to democratic representation in the upper house — and, of course, in the lower house of parliament. Unfortunately, those who can make a difference do not seem to care about any of this.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025