Constitution, dictators, and cronies

Why is it so difficult to undo the legacy of dictators in Pakistan, even after clear mandates of people given through elections? Why every time in history, after getting rid of a military dictator, we continue to face a civilian authoritarian ruler, who behaves in the same disgusting manner, desiring “total” control over all institutions of the State. These questions need to be debated for finding appropriate answers—‘Political impasse: issues and solutions’, Business Recorder, March 3, 2009

In 1992, The Herald (Karachi), while interviewing the great intellectual, Edward W. Said, asked him: “Why we must continue to turn to the Zias of the world?” Professor Said candidly replied, “So long those rule us believe in might is right”. He said, “[This] phenomenon in the global politics is reflective of the desire of the imperialists that want perpetuation of their control through handpicked cronies and lackeys in different countries”.

In 2025, after 26 years of Musharraf’s coup and 48 years of Zia’s, we are still faced with the challenge of undoing their legacies. Many say that control in Pakistan has always been with the mighty men in khaki, and only the form has changed—it is now “tacit” rather than “explicit”. It is from hybrid to hybrid plus, and plus will keep on increasing numerically.

This explains why it is so difficult to undo the legacy of dictators in countries like Pakistan, even after the clear mandate of people, through elections, which were blatantly changed on the night of February 8, 2024. The legitimacy of elected (sic) governments in Pakistan no more stems from the will of majority of citizens using their power of vote! Resultantly, the nation, especially the youth, is disillusioned about its future!

In today’s Pakistan, those possessing power dispossess the masses of their participation in the governance and force them to yield before the powerful unrepresentative forces installed by them—ready to even mutilate the supreme law of the land for them. It happened twice since 2024 in the form of Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2024 and Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Act, 2025.

The powerful in the Land of Pure want even the genuinely elected ones to act as cronies and they, instead of putting up resistance through people’s power, please and appease them. This is the worst one can think of in any constitutional democracy.

Since the bizarre episodes of July 5, 1977 and October 12, 1999 there has always been a struggle between the different organs of State to display their muscles and supremacy. Control and running of State through force has failed to solve basic problems.

Deprivation of masses cannot be removed through judicial activism or unrepresentative rule. Resultantly, all kinds of conflicts will keep on resurfacing unless we ensure justice for all, rule of law and accountability of those who transgress their limits.

Historians are bewildered as day-by-day Pakistan is wrangling with unnecessary political and legal shenanigans. Elected leaders (sic) have no desire to undo the legacies of destroyed public institutions at the hands of Zia and Musharraf. Rebuilding and strengthening of institutions and keeping rule of law supreme is the responsibility of parliamentarians, but whether in power or in opposition, they have no inclination to do so.

Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharraf posed themselves as messiahs but destroyed the national cohesion. Unfortunately, the elected ones also followed in the footsteps of dictators by denying and/or resisting the establishment of true democratic dispensation. The performance of political parties in power since 2008 is equally appalling in the realm of providing social justice and good governance.

In the wake of elections in February 2008, the people thought there would be economic and social justice under a democratic rule after protected military rules, but in March 2013 things changed for the worse on completion of the first-ever much-trumpeted five-year-completion-civilian-era. And since then, country is sliding downwards.

Nearly 120 million Pakistanis are living below the poverty line. The word ‘prosperity’ has lost its meaning for the lower middle classes. The poor are getting poorer while the rich are enjoying all the luxuries. Colossal wastage and plundering of public funds, borrowed money and taxes collected from the poor are playing havoc with economy as well as tearing apart the socio-economic fabric of the society.

The existing oppressive economic system of Pakistan protects and promotes interests of the exploitative classes in utter violation of Article 3 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan [“the Constitution”]. Since its inception, Pakistan nurtured an exploitative system, which has been gaining strength with each passing day.

Presently, all forms of exploitation and repression are so deeply rooted that they are even taking away the guaranteed “right to life” from the citizens, what to talk of fulfilling the promise mentioned in Article 3 of the Constitution which says:

“The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfilment of the fundamental principle, from each according to his ability, to each according to his work”.

Behind the present chaotic socio-economic and political situation in Pakistan, amongst other factors, is perpetuation of unholy alliance of ruling elites—military-judicial-civil complex and politicians—against the masses. Aristotle in The Politics observed, “When laws do not rule, there is no constitution”—this applies most aptly to our political and constitutional history.

Our military and civilian rulers have always acted similarly in violating all established norms of rule of law and the result as predicted by Aristotle is before us. Every ruler has mutilated (a very mild term to describe what really happens with the supreme law of the land) the Constitution to suit his/her needs and to perpetuate dictatorial regime under one pretext or the other. The role of judiciary in endorsing these unconstitutional rules has been the most lamentable chapter of our history.

Musharraf, In the Line of Fire, portrayed himself a great saviour of the nation, whereas the reality was that under his despotic rule, with the support and connivance of the USA and its allies, the poor and helpless people of this country were deprived of their fundamental rights of access to free health, educational facilities and dispensation of justice. People ask how long would this legacy continue, and that too under civilian rules? As Professor Said opined, as long as cronies rule the world—it can end only if people decide to become moral agents and not servants of power.

Salvation lies in socio-economic justice and rule of law. The constitution of a country being a living and vibrant document determines the future direction of the nation, provided there is respect for the document and for rule of law. In a country where a single person (Musharraf) was authorized by the Supreme Court to amend the supreme law of the land, there could have been neither democracy nor constitution and this legacy continues unabated.

Despite becoming a nuclear state, we are ensnared in a deadly debt trap where the majority of the population lacks even basic amenities of life. Wealth and power is concentrated in a few hands and overwhelming burden of taxes, shifted on the less-privileged. The elitist economy favours the rich and mighty—with every passing day, the rich-poor divide is widening.

The main cause of our present day pathetic socio-political and economic situation is existence of inefficient, corrupt, repressive and criminal institutions, which do not give a damn to the welfare of the common people. Successive governments’ policies of self-aggrandizement have reduced Pakistan to a state-in-perpetual-conflict. The worsening economic situation with rise of militancy testifies to the fact that progress and tranquility cannot be achieved by merely toeing the policies of aggressors and oppressors.

In the present scenario, the people are rightly disillusioned. Responsible government and sustainable democracy cannot be established unless masses are empowered through local governments as provided in Article 140A of the Constitution.

The ruling elite and intelligentsia are completely alienated from the masses. Ruling elites exploit them financially, and the so-called intellectuals use the “myth of people power” for their catharsis. Political parties need the public only for electioneering to grab power. Nobody has any concrete agenda for a people’s rule and prosperity for all. Unless such an agenda is prepared and implemented, the present chaotic state of affairs would continue to persist without ending the legacy of despotic rulers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025