The Nexus Between Feudal & Elitists

Mohammed Ajeeb

London: With the recent announcement by the retiring army chief Bajwa that the military has decided to follow strictly the policy of non-interference in the country’s politics, is not being taken seriously to be true by many political observers and practicing politicians. Their doubts and fears about the armed forces’ claim to stand totally neutralarise from the history of the country which is full of connivance, conspiracies hatched and implemented by the establishment resulting in five martial laws in the country since its creation. However, the decision of the military establishment to refrain from unconstitutional acts ought to be welcomed and taken at face value and the dialogue for practical measures for this unwritten pledge to continue.

Assuming that there will no longer be intrigues and conspiracies to dismantle elected governments, the onus is now on the elected representatives to prove their worth that they can govern the country without crutches being provided by the establishment. However, the current political make up of both incumbent government and opposition is a nexus of oligarch,  feudals and mainly upper-class elites who all are there to protect their interests by colluding with each other in order to maintain their strangle hold on the poverty-stricken, uneducated and illiterate masses.

The electoral system is geared to allow only wealthy, powerful feudal and corrupt individuals to contest elections. Practically there is no limit or restrictions on the funds these thugs can spend on bribing the voters and officials to contest and win elections. The process can easily escape any scrutiny for accountability. Since all political parties do not exercise democratic norms in their structures and decision-making processes, nevertheless their heads are heard to be saying loudly, day and night, about the lack of democracy in running of the government by their opponents. This is a shameful contradiction in terms.

“Democracy is a political belief and an attitude of mind”

The prevalence of class, cast and sectarian discrimination in Pakistan cannot be denied and this factor has circumscribed the necessary progress in developing more tolerant and cohesive society in the last nearly 8 decades. The police and the judicial system is also ‘corrupt and serves the powerful and punishes the most vulnerable and least able to defend themselves’. The state education system is in tatters. The private sector of education is flourishing because it is being funded by taxpayers but serving the interests of the children of the elite class.

Press and media are not free as it is claimed and has never been fully free and independent. It is controlled, managed and bought by the government and opposition alike. 90% of this important source for providing information of all sorts including performance of government or lack of it to citizens in non-biased and impartial way hardly exists. No politician can bear to read, see or hear any even justifiable and concrete criticism. This elite ruling class act like dictators when in power.

All the streaks of feudal and class superiority are clearly reflected in the way of their governance. They are not and they can’t be democratic because democracy is a political belief and an attitude of mind. Without adherence to its philosophy, values, principles it remains an empty rhetoric. Sadly, this is real half of Pakistan today which it has taken 75 long years to reach this point. However, the biggest disappointment is that the overwhelming majority of the people in Pakistan still believe in this illusion that the elites will bring the real change and freedom one day for them.

It is very sad state of affairs. What Pakistanis need to realise their dream of real change, freedom and all kinds of justice’s, is to organise themselves and bring bottom-up revolution and to break the shackles of slavery and oppression imposed by the oligarchs, feudals and the army generals who have only been busily engaged in looting and plundering the resources of the country in order to inflate their own and their cronies pockets.

What the excluded from the system and deprived of power and privileges people of the country received in the 75 years from this power-hungry, selfish,  greedy and oppressive ruling class are empty rhetoric, false promises and hopes. The poor and powerless have been treated as the mendicants and dregs of society. Now is the time for this class to rise against these blood sucker leaches in Pakistan and bring the real change.

 The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin and first Asian Lord Mayor in Britain with a keen interest in political and international affairs.