NEEDLESS to say, a nation’s democratic soft power intrinsically lies in its capability of political tolerance. True, establishing national harmony is inevitable to build a stable Pakistan. On February 29, Pakistan managed to have its 16th National Parliament, albeit with emerging political challenges. These challenges can rightly be addressed by weaving the bonds of national harmony and political tolerance. The spread of political tolerance is considered as an epitome of modern day democratic societies. Thus, the current crisis is an acid test of our political leadership: how our politicians inhibit the ongoing post-elections crisis by utilising the vestiges of political sagacity and acumen.
Democracy and political tolerance: In robust democracies, it is an established fact that citizens must tolerate others’ efforts to participate in politics, even if they promote unpopular views. And yet citizens’ political tolerance is influenced strongly by the depth of their commitment must democratic values. Political tolerance is the ‘’willingness to allow the free articulation of interests and ideas in the political system of groups one opposes’’. Today, the EU’s political system represents a paragon model of political tolerance. Today, Pakistan represents a coalition form of the Government—which is the most frequent form of the Government in Europe.
Moreover, political system encompasses a wide range of institutions that affect political efficacy. In transitional democracies citizens must participate in politics thereby accompanying the values of tolerance and magnanimity. This perspective includes, among other things the very semblance of culture’s soft power—the particularized weltanschauung that shapes a group in which individuals are socialized. Sadly, the case study of Pakistan’s political culture manifests that character assassination and personal biases dominate this culture. Undeniably, in a culture of ethnic diversities, promotion of national integration is a profound challenge.
Required responsible role of social media: Arguably, the rapid spread of information on social media can be a double-edged sword. While it facilitates the dissemination of valuable knowledge, it also accelerates the propagation of disinformation and fake news. In the Pakistani society, this can lead to misinformation, further complicating the quest for truth and accurate understanding. Moreover, social media and its usage have strong relationship with political efficacy and participation. It is observed that in the last decade, the role of social media has been significantly galvanized in the politics of Pakistan. And sadly in recent years, it has promoted centrifugal trends and tendencies imbibed in conspiratorial thinking.
Consequently, because of its uncontrolled usage, important debates and serious issues are trivialised as that have been devolved into aggressive arguments, sensationalism and political antagonism–endorsed by the latest trends in our social media, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp—fundamentally undermining the vistas of political tolerance-cum-national security –thereby causing the horrific 9th May events. Given the imperative of a responsible role, social media must be committed to protecting our national ideology espoused by internal and external unity (Pakistani Diaspora abroad).
Politics of reconciliation and opposition: In parliamentary democracy, opposition has significant role in Parliament. It keeps check on the policies of government and proposes alternative policies against the policies of the government. But one of the major factors complying the role of political parties is the fulfilment of Pakistan national security contours. Conversely, if the role of opposition clashes with Pakistan national security structure, it could cause growing gaps between the opposition and the Treasury Benches. The PTI sponsored trend of ultra-populism seems to have been a new phenomenon in the Pakistan politics whereby our youth is sentimentally driven by the PTI‘s orchestrated agenda. This political remonstrance seems to be in conflict with conventional forces of Pakistani nationalism. But this trend void of political correctness, must be tackled with political tolerance creating space for accommodation, reconciliation and participation.
Though the post-election crisis is a common phenomenon in developing countries, it requires a pragmatic conflict resolution. Therefore, the traditionally popular political parties — Pakistan Muslim League-N, the PPP and the MQM (Pakistan), the coalition partners in the federal Government– must adopt a forward looking approach towards the PTI- led opposition under Sunni Etihad Council in the Parliament and vice-versa. Thus, nation expects that all political parties, including the coalition government and the opposition must be united to collectively work to cater to our national security imperatives. In this regard, the newly established political governments in both Balochistan and KP provinces with the cooperation of the federal government must play an instrumental role vis-à-vis national security challenges.
Empower Pakistan via national consensus: National harmony and cohesion is a long-term process as there are no shortcuts to accomplish such a gigantic task in a country which also has experienced its disintegration and, at the same time is still grappling with the issues of ethnicity, sect, democracy and religion. Notably, Pakistan’s National Policy for Peace and Harmony is aimed at resolving the existing radical extremism in Pakistan using peaceful means, integrating and coordinating national efforts on the basis of agreed principles achieved through consensus. Therefore, there is an urgent national need beyond an action-reaction trajectory, to collectively start the process of a national dialogue. At the Government level, the move regarding the charter of reconciliation, is a worthy initiative. The PTI leadership must realise, intensifying confrontations will weaken Pakistan.
Nonetheless, Pakistan’s political leadership needs to recognize the fact that election is not only the pivot of getting into power, but a glaring opportunity to stymie the politics of division and polarization with a prompt commitment to serve the people. What Pakistan needs today is to forge a national consensus by making an end to the culture of political osmosis, political victimization and antagonism. Hence, by taking all national stakeholders into confidence, the newly established government under an astute premiership of Shehbaz Sharif, should launch a Pakistan Stability Initiative –in order to counter the impediments and challenges in the way for national harmony and integration—the locus to move Pakistan in the direction to attain a path towards political stability, national progress and prosperity. God bless Pakistan!
—The writer, an independent ‘IR’ researcher-cum-international law analyst based in Pakistan, is member of European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on IR, Critical Peace & Conflict Studies, also a member of Washington Foreign Law Society and European Society of International Law. He deals with the strategic and nuclear issues.
Email: rizvipeaceresearcher@gmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
