The cynicism is well-earned.
The controversial 26th Amendment is contrary to the spirit of Pakistan’s Constitution—a fact, says former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, that will one day lead to its undoing. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday, Abbasi called the amendment an obvious play on judicial independence, passed under cover of darkness.
“We have learned nothing,” said Abbasi, imploring politicians, judges, and military leaders to come together—without grudge or grumble—and find courage to secure Pakistan’s better days. His newly formed Awaam Party, which is unrepresented in Parliament, plans to challenge the constitutional amendment at the Sindh High Court to register its protest.
Abbasi also cited this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics to reinforce his message. Announced on Oct. 14, the prize was shared by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson for their research on how institutions shape prosperity. Their findings emphasize the key roles of democratic governance and rule of law in achieving economic stability—principles, Abbasi warned, which are approaching extinction in Pakistan.
The general elections held in February have only deepened mistrust. Their credibility is clouded in doubt, with widespread suspicions of rigging, particularly in the Punjab, to block jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s return to power. The current setup in Islamabad, by the government’s own admission, includes the military, continuing the era of demi-democracy for many.
Compounding the distrust seeded by the elections, the apparent assault on judicial independence has further eroded public faith in the institutions meant to protect representative government. The impugned Constitutional amendment kept Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, deemed too independent, from assuming the top seat at the Supreme Court. Simultaneously, waves of arrests targeting activists, opposition leaders, journalists; media blackouts; and restrictions on free expression are an Orwellian fever dream.
None of this is sustainable. Exclusionary institutions breed distrust of those in charge. When disillusionment verges on rebellion, the ruling establishment promises life-improving economic reforms. But, as the Nobel laureates caution, such tactics prove insufficient. “In the end,” they say, “the only option may be to transfer power and establish democracy.”
Pakistan’s future will turn on embracing this award-winning truth.