Democracy in Pakistan: A Critical Review Through the Lens of Dr. Israr Ahmed and Western Philosophers

Authors: Zoaib Mirza

Abstract:

Pakistan is an Islamic country that got its partition from India in 1947 so that the people could practice the religion of Islam. The political slogan to strive for independence was “What does Pakistan mean? There is no God but Allah”. The ideology of Pakistan was based on the notion that sovereignty only belonged to God Almighty (in Arabic, God means “Allah”), and Muslims will live in accordance with Islam principles. The Quran (Holy Book) and Sunnah (authentic practices of Prophet Mohammad, Peace Be Upon Him, that explains the application of the Quran) are foundations of the Islamic principles. It has been over 75 years, but unfortunately, Pakistan, due to its own political, social, and economic mistakes, is responsible for not being able to become a true Islamic nation to justify its partition from India. The rationale for writing this paper is to analyze the factors that led to changes in the democratic movements impacting the country's political, social, and economic growth. The methodology to examine the historical and political context of Pakistan’s history is by referencing the scholarly work of Israr Ahmed. He focused on Islamic theology, philosophy, and studies, offering insights into the historical and political context of the country. While from a Western perspective, Karl Marx, Mar Weber, Hannah Arendt, Sheldon Wolin, Paulo Freire, and Jacques Ranciere's philosophies specific to totalitarianism, politics, military rule, religion, capitalism, and superpower are used as the framework to analyze Pakistan’s democracy. The study's findings conclude that Pakistan's democracy is unstable and has been impacted by military and civilian governance, which led to political, social, and economic downfall. To improve the current situation, the citizens of Pakistan have to realize that the success of a nation is only dependent on the level of consciousness of the leader and not the political system. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every citizen to be conscious of how they select their leader and take responsibility for the current situation in Pakistan.

Keywords: Pakistan, Islam, democracy, totalitarianism, military, religion, capitalism.

References:

[1] Ahmed, I. (2011, April 25). Quaid e Azam, Allama Iqbal aur Nazriya e Pakistan. (Z. Saeed, Interviewer)
[2] Islamic Research Institute. (2009). The Objectives Resolution. Islamic Studies, 89, 91-118.
[3] Hashim, A. (2013, April 30). Pakistan: a political timeline. Retrieved from Aljazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/01/20121181235768904.html
[4] Wolin, S. S. (2008). Democracy incorporated: Managed democracy and the specter of inverted totalitarianism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
[5] Arendt, H. (1958). Human condition (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[6] Rancière, J. (1999). Disagreement: Politics and philosophy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
[7] Daniyal, S. (2016, May 17). History lesson: How 'Bharat Mata' became the code word for a theocratic Hindu state. Retrieved from Scroll: http://scroll.in/article/805247/history-lessons-how-bharat-mata-became-the-code-word-for-a-theocratic-hindu-state
[8] Ranciere, J. (2006). Hatred of Democracy. New York: Verso
[9] Baig, A. (2013, March 1). President Musharraf’s Vision and Achievements of his tenure. Retrieved from President Musharraf: https://presidentmusharraf.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/musharraf-vision-achievements-2013/
[10] Bensaid, Daniel. (2011). Permanent Scandal. In Democracies in What State? (16-43). New York: Columbia University Press.
[11] Bernstein, R. J. (2011). Hannah arendt's reflections on violence and power. Iris, 3(5),3-30. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.depaul.edu/login? url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1013797517?accountid=10477
[12] Weber, M. (2001). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism of 1930. London: Routledge Classics.
[13] Roberts, R. H. (1995). Religion and The Transformation of Capitalism: Comparative Approaches. London: Routledge.
[14] Marx, K., & Engels, F., (1975) Collected Works Volume I Marx 1936-1843. London: Progress Publishers
[15] Bokiniec, M. (2011). Is Polis the Answer? Hannah Arendt on Democracy. Santalka: Filosofija, Komunikacija, 76-82.
[16] Fakhr-ul-Islam, K. F. (2013). Jirga: A Conflict Resolution Institutions in Pukhtoon. Gomal University Journal of Research, 87-95.
[17] Freire, Paulo. (2000) Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
[18] Brown, B. C. (2006, April 3). An Overview of Developmental Stages of Consciousness. Retrieved from Integral Without Borders: https://integralwithoutborders.net/sites/default/files/resources/Overview%20of%20Developmental%20Levels.pdf
[19] Hart, M. H. (1978). The 100: A ranking of the most influential persons in history. New York: Hart Pub. Co.
[20] Mizoguchi, K. (2016, June 4). Muhammad Ali's Moving Speech on the Meaning of Life: 'Get Ready to Meet God'. Retrieved from People: https://people.com/sports/muhammad-alis-moving-speech-on-the-meaning-of-life/
[21] Fukuyama, F. (2006). The End of History and the Last Man. Free Press.
[22] Klein, N. (2007). The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. New York: Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt.
[23] Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How Democracies Die. New York: Crown Publishers.
[24] Burrowes, R. (1969). Totalitarianism: The Revised Standard Version. World Politics, 21(2), 272-294. doi:10.2307/2009823
[25] Anjum, T. (2007). The Emergence of Muslim Rule in India: Some Historical Disconnects and Missing Links. Islamic Studies, 46(2), 217–240. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20839068
[26] Pearson, M. N. (1976). Shivaji and the Decline of the Mughal Empire. The Journal of Asian Studies, 35(2), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.2307/2053980
[27] Tatlah, I. (2011). A Review of Educational Values of the Modern Muslim Thinker: Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (R.A). SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1843263.
[28] Pandey, D. (1978). Congress-Muslim League Relations 1937-39: “The Parting of the Ways.” Modern Asian Studies, 12(4), 629–654. http://www.jstor.org/stable/312372
[29] Akhtar, S., Saleem, B., & Sirwar, A. M. (2021). Political Role of Muslims Students and Women During Pakistan Moment 1936-1947. Al Khadim Research Journal of Islamic Culture and Civilization, 2(2), 21-31.
[30] Chiriyankandath, J. (1992). 'Democracy' under the Raj: Elections and separate representation in British India. The Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 30(1), 39-63. doi:10.1080/14662049208447624.
[31] Qayoom, O., & Parihar, S. S. (2021). Decline of the Mughal Empire: Theoretical Evidences of Collapse. International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, 4(2), 35-42. URL: http://www.ijsred.com/volume4/issue2/IJSRED-V4I2P35.pdf
[32] Wolf, S. O. (2013). Civilian Control and Democratic Transition: Pakistan’s Unequal Equation. Pakistan Security Research Unit (PSRU), Research Report No. 2. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2839458
[33] Wolf Ferguson, N. (2008). Empire: The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power. Basic Books.
[34] Tahiliani, S. (2009). Unity or division? Mohammad Ali Jinnah's evolving motivations throughout India's struggle for independence & the Pakistan movement. California State University, Dominguez Hills.
[35] Niaz, I. (2017). Review of the book The Charismatic Leader: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Creation of Pakistan, by S. Hayat. Journal of Research Society of Pakistan, 54(1), 250-252.
[36] Qadeer, M. (2006). Pakistan-social and cultural transformations in a Muslim Nation. Routledge.
[37] Aziz, M. (2007). Military control in Pakistan: The parallel state. Routledge.
[38] Gregory, S., & Revill, J. (2008). The role of the military in the cohesion and stability of Pakistan. Contemporary South Asia, 16(1), 39-61.
[39] Ismael, T. Y., & Ismael, J. S. (2015). Iraq in the twenty-first century: Regime change and the making of a failed state. Routledge.
[40] Mehdi, R. (2013). The Islamization of the law in Pakistan (RLE Politics of Islam). Routledge.
[41] Ahmad, S. (1993). Dr. Isrār Aḥmad's political thought and activities.