The lecture was titled "Does Democracy have a future in Pakistan ?"

The Meeting commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Swaran Singh, President, Association of ASIA Scholars (New Delhi). He briefly introduced the organization, activities and objectives of the Association and urged participants to visit the AAS website at www.asiascholars.org

Prof. S.D. Muni, former Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi chaired the meeting. Other eminent participants included besides others: - Ambassador M.K. Rasgotra, Convener of the National Security Advisory Board (Government of India), Dr. Srinivas Rao, Retd. IAS, Advisor with Government of Afghanistan, Dr. E. Sridharan, Academic Director, UPIASI (New Delhi), Dr. Alok Bansal, Research Fellow of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (New Delhi), Dr. O.P. Shah, Centre for Peace and Progress, Kolkata and several other Asia Fellows, academics, and members of media.

From left: Dr. Swaran Singh, Prof. S. Akbar Zaidi, Prof. S.D. Muni and Dr. Reena Marwah.

At the very outset this was one of the most candid and yet erudite and nuanced exposition ever presented by a Pakistani scholar speaking in India. It clearly brought about the 'Pakistani' genre of democracy with details about its past, present and tentative future. Prof. Akbar Zaidi's lecture especially highlighted several critical social and political contradictions in contemporary Pakistan, with special focus on the recent events including the Chief Justice Mr Iftikar Chaudhury's dismissal and re-instatement as well as the recent military operations in Waziristan, in Lal Masjid as well as the rise in suicide bombings. This was also the most interesting time as the election of General Musharraf as President of Pakistan for a second time was currently in thick of debate given multiple legal and political complications.

From left: Dr. E. Sridharan, Dr. Swaran Singh and Prof. S. Akbar Zaidi.

Prof. Zaidi provided a comprehensive overview of the contours of Pakistan's political processes since 1947. At the outset, he stated that despite all obstacles, Pakistan would be able to endure as a nation state and a geographical entity. However, he asserted that under no definition could Pakistan be called a democracy - It was President Musharraf who had forced himself on the people of Pakistan. Citing reasons for some semblance of a democratic order in Pakistan, he listed these, among others, as :- a free press, a more modern approach to the development process and the reservation of 1/3rd of all public elected offices for women. Accepting the fact that democracy could not take roots in Pakistan while India is a vibrant democracy, he alluded to the fact that it was Jawahar Lal Nehru who had provided the leadership to India and in his words "Nehru's stamp on India is a formidable reality".

He further added that President Musharraf is viewed as a harbinger of modernization and liberalization and it was for this reason that he has been able to provide some features of a democracy in Pakistan while continuing to retain the features of dictatorship. The divide in Pakistan, especially since 2001 he explained, is not between the pro-democrats and those against democracy but between those who are pro-fundamentalism and pro-liberalization. 'Many Pakistanis would like Pakistan to be like Malaysia but not like Saudi Arabia, thereby retaining the element of Islam in their lives', he added.

Prof. Zaidi was categorical in asserting that all Pakistan's military generals had been lucky and Pakistan's economy had been crucially affected by events that had taken place on its borders. Delineating the statement further, he said that, "The ten years of economic prosperity under Zia Ul Haq would not have been possible without the Russian invasion and American support. President Musharraf has been a lucky President particularly because of what happened at the time when Pakistan's economy was not doing well. After 9/11 there has been considerable economic prosperity in Pakistan and it was a well known fact that would not have been possible had 9/11 not happened".

Referring to the Chief Justice issue he underlined the fact that that was an ill-advised move, as it resulted in making President Musharraf unpopular.

In Prof. Zaidi's view it is not President Musharraf who is responsible for the lack of democracy in Pakistan, but the political parties who in many ways ensured the continuation of the military rule in Pakistan. Prof. Zaidi was critical of the manner in which the political situation was unfolding in Pakistan, particularly because of the way in which Benazir Bhutto's party was making a deal with the military government. The lawyers movement could have become a political movement, but that could not happen for reasons cited above. This, in his opinion, was the greatest damage to democracy in Pakistan, largely attributed to Ms. Bhutto's Peoples Party.

In conclusion he referred to the three A's - Allah, Army and America and reiterated the significance of American policy in shaping the politics and economics of Pakistan.

From left: Dr. Reena Marwah and other participants.

Prof. S. D. Muni in his chairperson's remarks congratulated Prof. Akbar Zaidi for his brilliant analysis of Pakistan's political situation. He added that it was the feudal political culture of Pakistan which had been the basis for its lack of democracy and whatever had been done by President Musharraf was only a 'dressing up' of the dictatorship form of political administration. Prof. Muni also pointed out that democracies were not tailor made as they themselves emerged out of the societies. Adding the fourth 'A' as Awaam, he said that Allah and America were daggers drawn and that had created problems for the Army and had its impact on the general masses which was the Awaam.

In the question and answer session which followed, several comments and queries were made. These included possible use of Nuclear weapons by Pakistan, its Talibanisation, Pakistan's relations with India, as well as its own problems with fundamentalism.

Participants during the lecture meeting.

The lecture meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair, the speaker and the participants by Dr. Reena Marwah, Secretary General AAS.

[Prepared by Dr. Reena Marwah for AAS]