Dynastic Politics Wrecking Pakistan’s Democracy | Daily Writeup | Opinions
The following article, “How has Dynastic Politics Played a Significant Role in Wrecking Pakistan’s Democracy?“, is written by Hamail Syed, a student of Sir Syed Kazim Ali. Moreover, the article is written on the same pattern, taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. Sir Kazim has uploaded his students’ solved past paper questions so other thousands of aspirants can understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2-Expounding the term “dynastic politics”
3-Delineating the term “democracy” and its principles
4-An overview of Pakistan’s dynastic politics and weak democracy
5-How has dynastic politics played a significant role in wrecking Pakistan’s democracy?
- ✓By decreasing political competition
- Evidence: In Pakistan, only three major political parties compete for the leadership.
- ✓By affecting public political participation
- Evidence: According to the Election Commission of Pakistan Report, 2024, “The electoral voter turnout in the 2024 elections was 48%.”
- ✓By neglecting fundamental human rights
- Evidence: According to the Human Development Index (HDI), 2021, “Sindh’s human development index is 0.517.”
- ✓By curbing liberties
- Evidence: Rehab Mahamoor, research assistant for South Asia at Amnesty International, said that the blanket ban on an opposition leader’s speeches and suspension of media platforms demonstrating how successive Pakistani authorities target critical voices.
- ✓By diminishing accountability
- Evidence: According to the Corruption Perception Index, 2022, “Pakistan ranks 140 out of 180 countries in the world.”
6-Recommendation to foster democracy and minimize the phenomenon of dynastic politics in Pakistan
- ✓To follow Norway’s political model
- ✓To prioritize freedom of expression
7-Critical analysis
8-Conclusion
Introduction
Dynastic politics, a deeply entrenched phenomenon in Pakistan’s politics, shakes the foundation of the country’s democracy. Unfortunately, politics has become a family business in the state because a few families dominate Pakistan’s political system. In the book ‘Beyond the Crisis State’, Maleeha Lodhi highlights that Pakistan is a victim of political dynasticism, and the political dynasties have damaged the democratic system of Pakistan. Certainly, dynastic politics has detrimental effects on the state’s democracy by shrugging off its basic features. Ostensibly, political dynasties prioritize their personal interests over national interests. Hence, they diminish political competition, weaken accountability mechanisms, ignore basic human rights, and curb the nation’s liberties, especially freedom of expression. In this way, they deteriorate the democratic values of the state. Furthermore, due to poor governance by incompetent political dynasties, the country has become entangled in the web of a political, social, and economic crisis. However, the menace of dynastic politics and fragile democracy can be mitigated in the country by following in the footsteps of Norway, the most democratic state in the world, and by prioritizing freedom of expression. Thus, dynastic politics is one of the main reasons for weak democracy in the state.
Expounding the term “dynastic politics”
Before exploring further, it is pertinent to understand the term dynastic politics. Basically, dynastic politics means when members of the same family occupy elected positions in government. Furthermore, dynastic politics is an amalgamation of different elements, such as political background and consecutive wins. Certainly, dynastic rule is not unwonted in the world. According to the research article ‘Impact of Dynastic Politics on the Democracy of Pakistan’ by Amanullah, “The Philippines has a 60% ratio of dynastic politics, Pakistan has a 52% ratio, India has a 29% ratio, and the United States has a 6.2% ratio of dynastic politics globally.” This fact indicates that political dynasties exist worldwide and are more common in developing states. Moreover, dynastic politics has an inverse relationship with the development and democracy of the state. To sum up, third-world countries are entrenched in a phenomenon of political dynasticism.
Delineating the term “Democracy” and its principles
Delving into the term democracy, it is derived from the Greek words ‘demos’, which means people and ‘Kratos’, which refers to power. So, democracy is a system of government in which power is invested in the people. Undoubtedly, democracy is the bedrock of political, social, and economic development in a state. According to the United Nations (UN), “Democracy provides an environment that values human rights and freedoms and in which people exercise their free will.” This fact indicates that democracy ensures freedom and equality among the state’s people. Moreover, light has been shed on the six key features of a strong democracy in a state. First, respect for basic human rights; second, a multi-party political system paired with political tolerance; third, a democratic voting system; fourth, respect for the rule of law; fifth, democratic governance; sixth, citizen participation; and seventh, accountability. Furthermore, democracy is vital for a country because it holds the government of a state accountable, protects individuals’ freedom and rights, and brings prosperity to a country. Thus, democracy is imperative for the progress of a nation.
An overview of Pakistan’s dynastic politics and weak democracy
Unfortunately, like other South Asian states, Pakistan is also entangled in a web of political dynasties. A few family political parties have been ruling Pakistan for almost three decades, deteriorating the democracy in the state. Moreover, in Pakistan, family politics is not restricted to the heads of political parties; it prevails at the ground level as well, as family members of politicians are seen in the seats of MNAs, MPAs, and senators. According to the research article’ Dynastic Politics in Punjab’ by Ali Cheema, “In 2008, approximately 53% of members of the National Assembly from Punjab were dynastic legislators.” This fact highlights that power is concentrated with certain political families, which undermines political diversity and raises concerns about meritocracy and accountability, thereby weakening democracy in the country. Certainly, dynastic politics is a scourge for democracy in Pakistan, as dynasties come after burying political competition, meritocracy, social liberties, human rights, and accountability. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Report, 2024, “Pakistan fell 11 places, as it ranked 118th in 2024 out of 167 states on the global democracy index.” This fact indicates that the democracy in Pakistan is being downgraded, leading to a political and economic crisis. Thus, dynastic politics has weakened the efficacy of democracy in Pakistan.
How has dynastic politics played a significant role in wrecking Pakistan’s democracy?
Next, dynastic politics has subverted democracy in Pakistan by neglecting its basic features. Here, light has been shed on various aspects of political dynasticism wrecking democracy in the state.
- By decreasing political competition
First, political dynasties weaken democracy in the state by decreasing political competition. They raise the opportunity cost for contesting the elections and discourage non-dynastic candidates from working efficiently for the country. Hence, non-dynastic candidates have no choice but to merge with these political dynasties. In this way, political dynasticism decreases political competition in the electoral process, ignoring the vital feature of democracy, which is a multi-party political system. For instance, in Pakistan, only three major political parties compete for the leadership. This fact signifies the limited political competition in the country, undermining the opportunities for new faces to bring reform to the state. In addition, political dynasties enjoy various benefits solely without enhancing the efficiency of their rule, affecting democracy in the country. In short, dynastic politics undermines political competition in the state, wrecking Pakistan’s democracy.
- By affecting public political participation
Second, dynastic politics decreases public political participation, a vital feature of democracy, in the state. When political competition diminishes, the country’s people are left with no choice but to cast votes for these political dynasties, undermining the people’s will to change the state’s political system through the electoral process. As the state has not achieved substantial progress in the political, social, and economic sectors after the decades-long rule of the political dynasties, the mistrust between the political parties and the citizens has widened. Consequently, voter turnout in the electoral process decreases. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan Report, 2024, “The electoral voter turnout in the 2024 elections was 48%.” This indicates that political dynasties disrupt the democratic process by lowering political competition in the state; therefore, public political participation is reduced. Hence, in this way, political dynasticism shatters democracy in the country.
- By neglecting basic human rights
Third, political dynasticism is a significant reason for the socio-economic plight in Pakistan. When political dynasties rule the country, they undermine political competition, leading to poor governance. Now, light has been shed on the situation of interior Sindh in Pakistan; indeed, one political party has ruled Sindh for decades, highlighting the prevalence of dynastic politics. As a result, the socio-economic conditions of the province are miserable; people do not have clean water to drink. Moreover, they live in extreme poverty and hunger, depriving them of basic human rights. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), 2021, “Sindh’s human development index is 0.517.” This fact indicates that the province has a low human development index, which means people do not have proper education and health facilities, nor do they enjoy good standards of living, weakening the democracy in the state. Verily, when the government ignores the basic feature of democracy, which is providing basic human rights to the citizens, the democracy in the state deteriorates. In short, political dynasties shake the foundation of democracy in the state by ignoring human rights.
- By curbing liberties
Fourth, dynastic politics has weakened the democracy in Pakistan by curbing the liberties of the nation. Basically, to stifle dissent and opposition, the dynastic parties criminalize any criticism against the government by following the British-era legacy. By doing so, political dynasties neglect the right to freedom of expression, a vital feature of democracy. Rehab Mahamoor, research assistant for South Asia at Amnesty International, said that the blanket ban on an opposition leader’s speeches and suspension of media platforms is a demonstration of how successive Pakistani authorities target critical voices. This fact highlights that such black laws curtail freedom of expression, weakening democracy in the state. Unfortunately, political dynasties in Pakistan are willing to suppress the voices of the people advocating for change, thereby deteriorating democracy in the country. In a nutshell, in Pakistan, dominant political dynasties have made democracy feeble.
- By diminishing accountability
Fifth, political dynasticism hinders the process of accountability in the state. Unequivocally, corruption has plagued Pakistan for many decades, highlighting the poor governance of the political dynasties that have been ruling the state for many years. According to the Corruption Perception Index, 2022, “Pakistan ranks 140 out of 180 countries in the world.” This fact indicates that the country faces a high level of corruption, undermining the significant feature of democracy in the state. Evidently, an anti-corruption agency named the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was formed in 1999 to curb the menace of corruption, yet it fails to minimize corruption from the state due to political influence. Consequently, corruption levels surge in Pakistan, thereby wrecking the democracy in the state.
Recommendation to foster democracy in Pakistan and minimize the phenomenon of dynastic politics
Although dynastic politics and weak democracy lie at the heart of Pakistan’s multiple problems, these issues are not born without solutions. Failure provides a reason to ponder what went wrong in the past. Here, some viable measures are suggested that may prove helpful in ameliorating the condition.
- To follow Norway’s political model
To begin with, it is vital for the country to strengthen its democratic values for the smooth functioning of the state’s political, economic, and social sectors. For this purpose, the phenomenon of dynastic politics should be replaced with a true democratic multi-party system, providing opportunities to non-dynastic candidates to form a political party and to contest elections in a free and fair way. In this setting, Pakistan should follow Norway’s model because Norway is a strong democratic state. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, 2023, “Norway has the highest value of democracy worldwide. It has scored a 10 out of 10 in political culture, electoral process, and participation.” This fact indicates that Norway’s political culture is purely democratic; its electoral process is free and fair, increasing public political participation. So, Pakistan should follow in the footsteps of Norway, freeing its political system from the influence of political dynasties by providing opportunities to non-dynastic candidates, prioritizing the say of the people, and enhancing public political participation. Thus, in this way, the state can make its democracy strong.
- To prioritize freedom of expression
In addition, unfortunately, political dynasties have curbed the freedom of expression of the nation in Pakistan by introducing draconian laws to prevent dissent and opposition against them. Certainly, restrictions on the voices of people correspond to a ban on people’s feedback, lowering the chances of improving governance in the country. Therefore, the state must provide freedom of expression to its citizens to improve the governance mechanism, thus strengthening democracy in the country. Moreover, the media is an important tool for providing a platform for people to express their suffering and views to the government, thereby bridging the gap between the government and the nation. Hence, political parties should value national interests over personal political gains. They should introduce laws that promote freedom of expression. In this way, democratic values can be strengthened in the state, and the influence of political dynasties can be decreased.
Critical analysis
Critically, political dynasticism has deteriorated democracy in Pakistan. By doing so, political dynasties have put the state in an abyss of political, economic, and social crisis. Certainly, political dynasties have a negative impact on the democracy of the state; ultimately, Pakistan has been grappling with the menace of stunted economic growth, the energy crunch, inflation, poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of proper health facilities, making the country dance to the tunes of foreign donors. Evidently, after the long rule of political dynasties, Pakistan has become a debt-based economy instead of an export-based one. For example, it is due to the poor governance of the political dynasties that Pakistan has changed its trajectory from an exporter of mainly agricultural products to an importer, showing the inefficiencies of dynastic political parties. Unequivocally, the features of democracy have been brushed aside by political dynasties, making the state’s people suffer by depriving them of their basic rights. In short, Pakistan’s democracy is in grave danger due to the dominance of oligarchies in the political system of the state.
Conclusion
Conclusively, dynastic politics play an imperative role in wrecking democracy in Pakistan. Basically, to pursue their personal goals, they ignore the state’s collective interests, halting the nation’s progress by weakening democratic values. Unfortunately, political dynasties have weakened accountability, restricted the nation’s liberties, ignored basic human rights, diminished political competition, and affected the public political participation of citizens, pushing the state into an abyss of failure. However, by following Norway’s political model and by fostering freedom of expression in the state, the problems of dynastic politics and feeble democracy can be minimized. To sum up, political dynasticism is a scourge on democracy in Pakistan.
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