ISLAMABAD: As the world marks International Day of Democracy on September 15, Fact News Watchdog has released a white paper assessing the health of democratic systems across various countries, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal. The findings paint a bleak picture of Pakistan’s governance and political culture.
The report describes Pakistan’s democracy as an alliance of powerful elites, where ordinary citizens remain marginalized. It notes that the media continues to operate under heavy pressure, with journalists routinely facing legal harassment and court cases. According to the watchdog, Pakistan is ranked among the ten worst-performing countries on the global Democracy Index. Parliamentary debates, it adds, are little more than symbolic exchanges that mock the genuine concerns of the public.
The white paper warns that institutional interference in politics remains the single greatest threat to democracy in Pakistan. It further highlights frequent reports of harassment of women political activists, as documented by Human Rights Watch. Without genuine freedom of expression, the watchdog stresses, Pakistan’s democracy has no future.
The report calls for urgent reforms to salvage democratic traditions. These include ending the “turn-taking” system of dynastic politics, ensuring across-the-board accountability, and making the bureaucracy answerable to ordinary citizens. The watchdog argues that only the rule of law and protection of human rights can safeguard democracy from further decline.
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While Pakistan faces structural issues, the report also takes aim at regional neighbors. It brands India’s democracy as a form of “electoral authoritarianism,” dismissing New Delhi’s claim to be the world’s largest democracy as nothing more than a joke. Bangladesh is faulted for weak judicial independence, surveillance of opposition parties, and restrictions on free expression. In Egypt, freedom of speech and rule of law are described as being at their “worst in history,” while Nepal’s democracy is labeled fragile but still functional.
