The history
of Pakistan is full of the illegitimate and unconstitutional
manifestation of personal and institutional power and the trio of
politicians, the judiciary and the army has conspired against the
Constitution and democracy in the past. We were sans a Constitution even
26 years after our independence. In the third decade after freedom, we
got a unanimous Constitution in 1973, under the able leadership of Mr.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Unfortunately, this Constitution has also been
ruined time and again on personal whims and wishes. Thus, the mighty
elite ruled and the people of Pakistan suffered the agony of autocracies
and dictatorships. Imposition of martial law means the law of the
jungle and we imposed it again and again and demeaned the people of
Pakistan.
So today we should not be surprised for not
having a cultured and settled society. It is an established fact that
the law of the jungle can neither create a tolerant society nor can
people achieve peace, progress and stability without respect for the
Constitution, law and justice. But it seems as if we have not learnt a
lesson and our desire for individual gain is still stronger than the
collective benefit of the nation.
The recent tug of war
between institutions is another dilemma and it has brought forth an
impression that some elements are once again pushing things to undermine
law and justice. Injustice, either individual or collective, brings
doom to society.
Respect of the institutions, at all
costs, comes at a heavy price. We have paid a price in the past by
making East Pakistan Bangladesh, giving away the Siachen glacier,
venturing into Kargil, kicking off a separatist movement in Balochistan
and leaving the beloved country at the mercy of terrorism.
Is
the Constitution of Pakistan so worthless that institutions want their
respect and dignity at all costs? We have witnessed that people, leaders
and institutions have paid a huge price for the sake of respect of an
institution. But I do not know why we want to go into a blind alley once
more. The price that we have paid as a nation in the name of respect of
the institution is bigger than our statures. In this country, might no
more is right and the Constitution should be respected beyond any
conditionality. Now there must be no point to dominate the society at
the point of bayonets.
The power of the federation has
been weakened by the repeated lawlessness of the high-ranking elite. The
power of the federation of Pakistan is in the Constitution, and we
sometimes do not give it more value than a piece of paper. The strength
of a nation is in collectivism and not in individualism. Now, as a
matter of fact, in every society collectivism comes through the equal
distribution of justice. Double standards of justice are not acceptable
because they divide the society and institutions. Therefore, it is now
imperative to make justice equal for all and discard the concept of
sacred cows because this concept is against Islam, the Constitution and
morality.
As far as the respect of the institutions is
concerned, there are no two opinions that institutions should have and
maintain their name and dignity, but remaining within the Constitution.
Because respect of institutions lies in respecting the Constitution.
Therefore, institutions now have to rise above personalisation and
personalities. Respect of the Constitution must now be maintained by
all, at all costs.
On the other hand, it is now the
responsibility of political leaders to prove their maturity. Political
point-scoring is of no use in the case of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
His case is in the court and it must be left with the court and the
accused. Praising the chair or provoking the person in the trial is not
advisable.
People understand even without the worthless
words of the Khawajas on this issue. (Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Khawaja
Saad Rafique). People know that Musharraf wanted to have power in his
hands at all cost, but today he is paying the price for it. So it is now
imperative to respect the Constitution because gone are the days when
it used to be valued and treated as a piece of paper. Parliament, the
judiciary and army are respectable institutions and it is the duty of
all to respect these institutions and maintain harmony among them. Today
we are living in a state of fear and it is because of our deviation
from the Constitution and the law. We cannot afford to set yet another
example that the law of our land is to grind the poor but not the
powerful.
It is now in the air that the Constitution was
not violated by one or a few but by the institution. This is a very
dangerous idea and the creator of this concept should be punished under
the rules. The future of this country is in following the Constitution
and democracy. So I say it would be a wise step if Gen Raheel Sharif
must have said that respect of the institution will be maintained as per
the dictates of the Constitution. But if all heads of powerful
institutions also toe the same line and proclaim to defend their
institution at every cost, then the country would suffer beyond
imagination. The violation of the Constitution can neither secure the
country nor can it win the hearts of the people. I am sure, in future,
we shall not burn our home with our own lamps, and nor shall we let the
past effect our future. Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s case is in the
court and it should remain in the court. Institutions have nothing to do
with it. After a bitter experiences of the past we should learn that
the respect of institutions is in respecting the Constitution. The
damage that we had done to the Constitution in the past has now been
recovered but with much struggle. We have seen that abrogation of the
Constitution costs the nation heavily. Everything, I must say, outside
the Constitution is a farce. Dictatorship is a seed of a thorny tree and
if we sow this seed, then we shall reap thorns, not roses.
The writer is the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
