Civic and Democratic Values: The Mirror We Avoid

 

 Civic and Democratic Values: The Mirror We Avoid

By Noor Qureshi

Pakistanis proudly call themselves followers of Islam. We talk about justice, honesty, and public service — values deeply rooted in our religion. But when it comes to practicing those values in public life, particularly in democracy and civic duties, our actions tell a very different story.

Democracy gives us the power to choose our representatives — those who will legislate, create policies, and guide national development. But in reality, we often vote based on:

• Personality cults, not performance.
• Biradari (clan) or ethnic ties, not competence.
• Promises of personal favors, like fixing a street— not vision or policy.

We demand that the MNA or MPA build our street, get our cousin a job, or stop our electricity bill. We do not ask what they have done for education, justice, or local institutions. In short, we trade votes for short-term benefits, even if it harms our community or future generations.

Only those with money, influence, or the ability to lie convincingly are usually able to contest and win elections. Honest, competent, or educated people rarely stand a chance, and if they do, they’re often ignored because they don't play the dirty game of politics. We blame the system, but we are the system — we choose these leaders, again and again, knowing what they are.

We Demand Services, But Avoid Our Responsibilities. We want everything: like Free education, healthcare, clean water, safety, infrastructure, but many of us don’t pay taxes, steal electricity, violate traffic rules, or occupy land illegally. We see the state as a provider — not as a partnership. We expect the government to solve all problems while we break the same laws we want others to follow.

This is not patriotism. This is not faith. This is entitlement and hypocrisy.

We talk about Islamic values, say we want Islamic governance. But in practice,  we elect the person who benefits us, even if he lies, cheats, or is corrupt , we ignore Islamic teachings of truth, service, justice, and collective responsibility. True Islamic leadership is based on Amanah (trust), Adal (justice), and Khidmat (service). But we ignore these principles for personal convenience.

Most voters don’t know the basic responsibilities of an MNA or MPA. We ask them to: Fix sewers, Build roads, Solve water issues. But these are the job of local governments — which are either inactive or politically sidelined. In absence of strong local bodies, politicians become providers instead of lawmakers — and democracy becomes a market of promises, not policies.

People learned to survive by favor, not fairness. So we copied what we saw: shortcuts, sifarish, and self-interest. But if we keep repeating this, we will never build a just or stable nation.

If you are a young Pakistani, don’t wait for better leaders — be one. Start by speaking the truth, Voting responsibly, Respecting the law and Serving your community without reward.