Editorial
An important yet rarely discussed feature of Pakistan’s political history is this: the country’s major political parties have treated democracy, constitutional supremacy, and civilian governance not as fixed beliefs but as tools of convenience. Whenever a party lost power, faced state interference, or fell out with the establishment, it suddenly remembered the sanctity of the vote, the supremacy of parliament, and the virtues of constitutional rule. Yet the moment power returned, or a path to reconciliation opened, the same party often abandoned its own rhetoric without hesitation.
This pattern belongs to no single party. It runs through nearly the entire political history of Pakistan, appearing again and again in different guises. Democracy here has rarely functioned as a settled principle. It has functioned as a weapon, picked up in opposition and set aside in power. Parties recall democratic values when excluded from government and find state power justified once they hold it. When political parties themselves fail to remain consistently loyal to democratic principles, society at large cannot be expected to take democracy seriously either.
The true test of a party’s commitment to constitutional governance, civilian supremacy, and democratic order is not how it behaves in opposition. It is how it behaves in power. A party that respects parliamentary supremacy, institutional autonomy, political tolerance, freedom of expression, and rule of law while governing earns the right to call itself democratic. Without that consistency, democracy becomes merely a slogan for gaining power or protesting its loss.
Pakistan’s political evolution, however, is entering a new phase. The public, intellectuals, the youth, and political workers have grown more aware than before. Rhetoric alone no longer satisfies them; political conduct itself is now under scrutiny. No party can credibly champion civilian rule from the opposition benches and discard those same principles the instant power is offered. Political parties must answer to the same standard of accountability they demand from other state institutions. Pakistan needs principled politics over slogans, and constitutional politics over temporary convenience.
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