Political thinkers and politicians debate democracy in political parties

Islamabad, March 01,

2016: In a Roundtable Conference

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organised by PILDAT on Internal Democracy of Political Parties of Pakistan,

experts gathered together to stress upon the need for promotion of intra-party

democracy in Pakistan.

The Roundtable Conference took

place in the backdrop of PILDAT

Report on Internal Democracy of Major Political Parties of Pakistan that

was published on Feb 22, 2016. PILDAT assessment placed the Jamaat-e-Islami

(JI) with 56% score (No. 1), the National Party (NP) with 47% score

(No. 2), the PTI with 44% score (No. 3), the Awami National Party

(ANP) with 40% score (No. 4), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with

36% score (No. 5), the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) and Muttahida

Quami Movement (MQM) (Both at No. 6) with 33% score, and the PML-N with

31% (No.7).

Former Speaker West Pakistan

Assembly / former Senator and member of the PILDAT Steering Committee, Chaudhry

Muhammad Anwer Bhinder highlighted the need for a regulatory body that

should monitor the procedures and functions of political parties. He said that

hereditary claims in political parties should be strongly discouraged and focus

should be given to strengthening local chapters of parties so that they can

grow.

Senior Journalist and President,

CPNE, Mr. Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, also member of the PILDAT

Steering Committee noted that successive martial laws in Pakistan have severely

affected structures of political parties. The focus of political parties should

be on their constitutions and it is very important that they declare their sources

of funding at all costs in order to promote transparency and ultimately democracy.

Development and Political Economist,

Dr. Niaz Murtaza, a speaker at the Roundtable Conference said

that the role of civil society is crucial in institutionalizing the political

parties of Pakistan. He also said that the assessment of democracy within political

parties should be carried out throughout the year instead of on an annual basis.

Among the Discussants present

at the Conference, veteran politician Makhdoom Muhammad Javed Hashmi

said that PILDAT’s effort to assess democratic procedures of

political parties is an effort in the right direction. An accountability body

for political parties is the need of the hour.

ANP Secretary General, Mian

Iftikhar Hussain was of the view that assessment of the constitution

of a political party cannot alone depict democracy within a party. Despite grave

challenges faced by ANP in Peshawar, the party is running its affairs in the

most democratic manner possible.

Mr. Ayub Malik,

Punjab President of National Party lauded PILDAT’s effort to highlight

key concerns regarding intra-party democracy. He also mentioned that the National

Party has conducted its party elections nationwide and should no longer be termed

as a regional party.

Earlier, Mr. Ahmed Bilal

Mehboob, President, PILDAT presented key findings of the assessment

report and raised three key questions for debate at the conference and beyond.

How important is democracy within political parties? Why is intra-party

democracy not given due importance by the general public, as most popular parties

are the least democratic? How can political parties be institutionalised instead

of being lengthened shadow of their leaders?

Discussants present at the conference

included Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, President of National Party, Makhdoom

Muhammad Javed Hashmi, Former MNA, Mr. Shahid Hamid, Senior Advocate

and Former Governor Punjab, Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin, Senior Journalist,

The News, Mr. Iftikhar Ahmad, Senior Journalist and Anchor, Mr.

Ilahi Bukhsh Soomro, Former Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr.

Wusatullah Khan, Senior Journalist and Anchor, Dawn News, Mr. Hafiz

Tahir Khalil, Bureau Chief, Jang, Islamabad andMuhammad Ziauddin,

Executive Editor, The Express Tribune.