How we define Democracy?

I think we can all agree that the most mystical and misleading word used in Pakistan these days is "Democracy". People are dropping this word causally on tv shows, in newspapers and in daily coversations with out realising how much weight it actually carries? Do we all actually understand the definition of this word?  How much power it has to effects and shapes a nation? When will we be ready to have a serious debate on what it is and what it should be?
According to dictionary definition "democracy is a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections ". If we are being more precise then its "rule of people" or "power of majority". In democracy we have to bear things for the greater good.

Then I wonder how come people of Pakistan started to see democracy as "rule of individual" or "Power of I". Why are we bluring the differene between dictatorship and democracy. More importantly we have isolated democracy from civil society. Democracy is not revealed from skys. People struggle hard to build it and then struggle even more harder to maintain it. But its impossible to accomplish without fully understanding the different aspects of democracy and vital role civil society plays in it.
I will try cover these aspect in next posts to my best of knowledge.

Asking right question........

Last night I heard a political candidate saying something about providing the missing facilities in his constituency and improving the living standard of his people. Which made me wonder if everybody's concern are confined to his/her locality then who is thinking about our National issues. Foreign Policy, Ecomonic Policy, Business Industry, Energy Crisis are few of the gigantic national issues.
It almost feels like all political parties have some kind of consensus on ignoring them as long as possible and we the people Pakistan also never regarded them as issues, may be except for Energy Crisis . So the queston still remain the same. WHO??????
 

Moving Forward

Its elections season in Pakistan. With it comes alot of promises and claims. Every political party has their "Manifesto" which they are thumping down our throats with the promise of fulfilling each and every word of it. Political talk shows are all the rage these days. They have even replaced prime time dramas. Everybody is guessing what will happen next. Few gunius among us also smell conspiracy theory every now and than. Each day brings new breaking news which makes us  wonder about the futur and whole new cycle of guessing beging with it again.
But with all this going on things are moving forward every day, which is good in my point of view.
We Pakistanis are very unlucky in the department of moving forward. Alot of things have happend in the past and alot of people held the very powerful positions but nothing changed. Atleast nothing changed for good. We can debate all about the ethics and what should or shouldn't have done. But truth is that Money hold the power in this game of Power. Whoever has it more, has the power to shape the reality as they want. Unfortualty Mango people like us serves as bate in these power games. Proof of which is the bomb blasts and drone attacks. Common factor in both are the inoccent people being killed to prove some point.
Then again I am glad with this little achievment of  this country. Right or wrong an elected government completed its tenure. Although during their term we all are pushed towards much harsher conditions than anybody anticipated. But then again people among us elected tham.
Well, Part of moving forward is to learn something from the bad decisions. Becasue we are the ones who has to live with our bad choices for the next five years. All Pakistanis has the first hand experience of bearing the bad decision for five years.
Lets hope that we all have learned something and wouldn't make the same mistake again.