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Fakhr-ul-Islam *
Farmanullah **
Abstract
The role of civil society cannot be ignored in the development of
a country in the modern era. Civil society in democratic arena compels
the undemocratic elements to follow democratic culture and tradition in
a given society. The civil society keeps a vigilant watch on the
activities of legislature, executive and judiciary. It criticizes any organ
of the government which misuses its power or violates the constitution
or meddles with the activities of other organ of government.
In Pakistan the role of civil society is also significant in the
promotion of democracy in Pakistan. This paper, apart from the
conceptual clarification of civil society and democracy, will throw a
light that how civil society played its role in the promotion of
democratic culture and tradition in Pakistan.
Keywords: Civil Society, Pakistan, Democracy, government.
Introduction
Civil society has become an important concept in the social
sciences, and has emerged as a central topic among policymakers and
practitioners alike. With such prominence comes a need for clearer
understanding, better information and ways to position civil society and
its various dimensions in the context of economy, polity and society at
large. The notion of civil society reemerged in political and
sociological theories during transitions from authoritarian rule toward
more liberal democratic governments in Eastern and Central Europe,
South America, and, recently, Asia and Africa. Many struggles against
communist and military dictatorships have revived the concept of civil
society.
*
Prof. DR. Fakhar ul Islam, Director, Pakistan Study Center, University of Peshawar.
**
Farmanullah, Pakistan Study Center, University of Peshawar.
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Civil Society and Democracy in Pakistan
not only wealth but also invisible connections among people--the bonds
of trust and social capital in today's terminology. Others like John
Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville saw civil society less in relation to the
market but more in political terms and emphasised the importance of
democratic association in everyday life as a base of a functioning
polity. Friedrich Hegel sounded a more cautionary note about the self-
organising and self-regulatory capacity of civil society, and emphasised
the need of the state to regulate society. For Hegel, state and civil
society depend on each other, yet their relation is full of tensions and
requires a complicated balancing act. The role of the state relative to
civil society was also emphasised in the writings of Montesquieu, von
Stein, and other thinkers, who saw the rule of law as the essence of
state-society and society-market relations.
In the twentieth century, civil society became associated with
notions of civility, popular participation and civic mindedness (Verba),
the public sphere (Jurgen Habermas), social capital (George Putnam),
culture (Antonio Gramsci) and community (Amitai Etzioni). The
various concepts and approaches emphasise different aspects or
elements of civil society: values and norms like tolerance in the case of
civility; the role of the media and the intellectual; the connections
among people and the trust they have in each other; the moral
dimensions communities create and need; and the extent to which
people constitute a common public space through participation and
civic engagement.
The complexity of civil society and the many relations and
intersections it has with the economy, the state and institutions like the
family, the media or culture, make it not only possible but almost
necessary to examine the concepts from different perspectives and
orientations. Some analysts adopt an abstract, systemic view and see
civil society as a macro-sociological attribute of societies, particular in
the way state and society relate to each other. Others take on a more
individualistic orientation and emphasise the notions of individual
agency, citizenship, values and participation, using econometric and
social network approaches in analysing civil society. There is also an
institutional approach to study civil society by looking at the size,
scope and structure of organisations and associations, and the functions
they perform. Note that the different perspectives of civil society are
not necessarily contradictory, nor are the various approaches to
understanding it necessarily rival; to the contrary, they are often
complementary and differ in emphasis, explanatory focus and policy
implication rather than in principle.
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politics is that the coalitions of elites from different political parties tend
to cooperate with the military to keep the political dispensation in their
favour. This has been a regular pattern since Ayub Khan captured power
in 1958. Once again, elite realignment is taking place with the
consideration that the PPP will share power with other groups under the
leadership of a re-elected Musharraf, if he is not prevented by the
Supreme Court of Pakistan. The movement for democracy in Pakistan
may have its weaknesses but it cannot be easily derailed or destroyed. It
has succeeded in making democracy a political issue and it does
represent popular ethos. Its challenge lies in mobilising people, creating
unity among diverse social and political groups and providing an
alternative leadership that would win the trust of the people.
Conclusion
Civil society has played a pivotal role in the promotion of
democratic culture and tradition in Pakistan. The civil society
compelled the ruling class to enact the Objectives Resolution (1949)
and the first constitution of Pakistan (1956). Civil society compelled
General Ayub Khan to resign from the States power. When the sugar
prices increased, the civil society could not tolerate it and came forward
in open protest and agitations. The Students union abuses him and
demanded his immediate resign which the latter did under the pressure
of the former. Similarly, it was the civil society which made Z.A.
Bhutto a public leader. The public was so impressed from him that in
public crowds, people responded to his slogans and statements. His
democratic notions had been supported by the civil society.
Likewise, the despotic government of General Zia-ul-Haq was
pressurized by the political forces of the civil society. A political
alliance of the political parties was made so that to apply a common
pressure on the dictatorial rule of Zia. No doubt, that his ruling came to
an end due to his killing in air crash but it is also fact that political
forces gave him a tough time during his despotic rule. In the same way,
the role of the civil society during Musharraf period is more evident. It
was the civil society that compelled Musharraf to resign from his
office. When General Pervaiz Musharraf elected himself as a President
of Pakistan through so-called referendum, the civil society criticized
him greatly. Similarly, when Musharraf ousted judges of the Supreme
Court of Pakistan, the civil society more particularly the lawyers
association started a movement for the restoration of the deposed
judges of the Supreme Court. Finally the lawyers were succeeded in
restoring the deposed judges to their original position. This lawyer
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Dictionary
1. Websters New Universal Unabridged Dictionary. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1979.
Magazine
1. Rais, Dr. Rasul Bakhsh. Civil society and Democratic
Transition. Daily Times, September 25, 2007
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT
1. Schulz, Carl G. Addresses in Memory of Abraham Lincoln,
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, 1910.
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