“Democracy is not a destination—it is a journey” Barack Obama

“Democracy is not a destination—it is a journey”

A new democratic era began in Pakistan in 2008 after a series of military regimes. The period between 2008 and 2013 was highly significant for the development of parliamentary democracy in the country. The February 2008 general elections played a vital role in the political scenario of the country. Just after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the election results favored her party. This victory marked the end of military hegemony, at least in politics, and the beginning of the civilian era. The military had been playing its role in the parliamentary form of government that was now supposed to work independently. However, it was not an easy task ahead, with problems like economic unrest and insurgency.

Return to Civilian Rule: The PPP Government (2008–2013)

The 2008 General elections

Jimmy Carter once noted, “Democracy is valuable precisely because it is tested in adversity.” For a healthy democratic future of Pakistan, the general elections of 2008 were extremely important for the country. The move from military rule to democracy was neither easy nor trouble-free, and there were also many controversies concerning the victory of the PPP. Although Zardari was not experienced in the field of politics due to his inexperience and was surrounded by accusations of corruption, the fact that he was the husband of the assassinated leader, Benazir Bhutto, brought him much political weight. Thus, the PPP got a majority in the National Assembly in the 2008 election.

The election turned out to be quite peaceful compared to previous elections, and the PPP’s win was seen as a triumph for democratic values despite all these problems. The PPP’s alliance with PML-N and some smaller parties had a broad political representation even though it was quite fragile and not always united. The 2008 elections were also proof of how the judicial system affects the process of democratization. Judicial activism that had developed during the rule of Musharraf was sustained in the era of the PPP. This period saw the rise of judicial activism, which helped to shape the parliamentary democracy of Pakistan.

Challenges Inherited from Musharraf

The coalition government under the PPP faced trouble right from the beginning after taking power. It was confronted with problems such as inflation and economic downturns. The economic crisis that hit the world economy in 2008 also complicated the issue of debt management and countries’ trade. One more hindrance faced in this regard was the issue of domestic security in the country. As a result of the presence of al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban, and other terrorist groups in certain regions of the country, Pakistan has become a battleground for militancy. 

Besides causing instability in the country, terrorism threatened economic progress due to the increasing threat posed by the latter. The problem was that while under the control of civilians, the military was still involved in the decision-making and policymaking. Nevertheless, corruption continued to be an issue, and the population felt dissatisfied with the inability of the government to solve........

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