Mr. Javed Chaudhry – An Article by Muhammad Waqas lecturer UMT Lahore

You are, I think, the most influential Urdu columnist in our country with hundreds of thousands followers. Your knowledge about history always depicts itself in your writings. In your long career in journalism you would have the chance to closely observe the historical development of democracy in the world. We should learn from history in order to make ourselves better, this is the lesson which I learned from you and this is the lesson which I want to make you remind.

I am not supporting this democracy. This is, by no means, much better than the dictatorship of the past. But the point is this that is it, by any means, worst than the past government? My answer is NO. We have taken some crucial steps. Judicial restoration was impossible in the past dictatorship. N.F.C award was the sign of relief in this crucial situation. The freedom of expression is flourishing in the country.

We have law and order situation here but we cannot blame our government for this because our military regime is taking decisions in all the matters regarding ‘war on terrorism’ .So these suicide bomb attacks are the aftermath of the past and continuing policies of Pak Army commanded by their earthly god Almighty America. You talk too about inflation. Let me ask you a simple question. How can we attract foreign investment without peace? And, without foreign investment, how can the fiscal crisis be satisfied? Please don’t think that I am in favor of these seemingly down-to-earth politicians. Obviously they are not the good guys. There is a horribly long list of their loop-holes like exponential rise in corruption, negations of basic human rights by police state in the disguise of fair-looking American-made democratic set-up, long hours of load shedding without any solid plan for future.

World didn’t reach to modern democratic state in a day .Its roots go back to Magna Carta. Magna Carta Libertatum , also renowned as The Charter of Freedom , was signed in 1215 between the King of England and barons. In this document it was , for the first time in Monarchical World, established that barons of England had the right to disagree with the king’s decisions in certain matters. After that period the people of Europe struggled very hard for centuries for their freedom. The modern democratic state is their culture not the blessing of some God-gifted monarch or dictator.

Now let’s come to your last column dated 26th March. In your column you gave us a snap-shot of the market prices of the past and showed us their comparison with current prices of eatables in the market. In your long loosely constructed argument you established the proposition that “the past era of dictatorship was better than this democracy because now we have high inflation rates”. You presumably ignored desolation of judiciary; attack on Lal Masjid, restrictions on media and many more allegations, perhaps, because they don’t support your arguments.

As our judiciary has not become the world’s best administration of justice after its restoration but a little step towards the glory. Similarly I am not saying that this is an ideal democracy. This is not a true democracy at all but a little step towards it. We have two choices right now. One that we let these military leaders decide our future .This is easy and straight path in making our country a hell on earth. Second choice is that we get back our freedom of choice from military leadership by working consistently against these powers. We have to reject those leaders too who have made our mandate a purchasable commodity to the dictators. While breathing the air carrying the trauma of dynamite and watching your children playing with scattered pieces of bomb shells remember that they deserve books and real toys instead of bomb shells. Remember your duty towards them and to this country. Remember that justice and freedom are more than words. Remember that God made men equal.