Editorial
In 2018, many prominent figures from the media, judiciary, and civil administration stood vocal in support of democracy, constitutional supremacy, and civilian authority. Yet, by 2024, many of the same individuals appear to have retreated from those very principles they once claimed to champion. What changed?
The truth may be uncomfortable but necessary to confront: most of those who presented themselves as defenders of democracy were never truly committed to it in the first place. Their allegiance to democratic values was conditional—tied not to principle, but to personal political, financial, or administrative interests.
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When the winds of power shifted, so too did their loyalties. For many, support for civilian supremacy in 2018 was less about belief in democratic governance and more about aligning with power structures that suited their ambitions at the time. Once those dynamics changed, and it became more convenient—or rewarding—to side with anti-democratic forces or remain silent, they did so without hesitation.
This opportunistic shift exposes a deeper crisis in Pakistan’s political culture: democracy has often been treated not as a non-negotiable principle, but as a tool—used when convenient, discarded when risky. Until democratic values are upheld beyond self-interest, true democratic consolidation will remain elusive.
