[NATION.PK] The inexcusable conduct of (most of) our parliamentarians in the national assembly, earlier this week, followed by ’compulsive intervention’ from powers that be—resulting in orderly speeches thereafter—has lay bare the rotten core of legislative enterprise. It has demonstrated, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the people elected to the corridors of our political power represent the worst of our society. Their language and mannerism (in public eye!) exudes a crassness that is scarcely found even within the lowest ebbs of our culture. This includes people like Ali Nawaz Khan, who speak in a manner that would repulse any listener. Or the likes of Rohail Asghar, who think that Bulley Shah’s language and culture includes cuss words.These people do not represent who we are as a nation. And yet, term after term, our democratic ’system’ continues to elect such abominable creatures to corridors of public power. Let me rephrase that: we, the people, continue to elect such individuals to corridors of public power.In the circumstances, it is pertinent to ask why the likes of Rohal Ashgar, Ali Nawaz, and other chips of the same block are elected as politicians. Why does our ’system’ not weed them out? Despite having a sprawling legislative framework (of Article 62, Article 63 and the Election Act, 2017), why are such individuals qualified to contest and win political office? Does the fault rest in our stars? Or, instead, does it rest with a ’system’ that is inherently broken?
In light of these developments, much has been said about the constitutional and legal construct of our (democratic) electoral ’system’. The ability of our constitutional fabric to deliver on its democratic promise has been questioned. At the core of this debate is one elemental question: is our democratic ’system’ working, or do we need to rethink the fundamentals of our constitutional democracy?