ISLAMABAD: The country’s renowned political scientists identified several factors threatening democratisation in Pakistan, devolution of power to provinces, and cautioned that separating issues of ethnicity from territoriality often fuels political tensions.

The experts spoke at a one-day international conference, “Democracy, Devolution, and Plural Structures of Governance in Pakistan and South Asia,” co-organised by Quaid-i-Azam University’s School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF).

Dr Mohammad Waseem, renowned political scientist, in his key note address focused on the impacts of the 18th amendment and the challenges facing federalism in Pakistan. He said despite some devolution of power, Pakistan’s federal structure remains centralised, creating an imbalanced federation.

Mr Waseem stressed the importance of pluralism and provincial representation, cautioning that separating issues of ethnicity from territoriality often fuels political tensions.

Say separating issues of ethnicity from territoriality often fuels political tensions

Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Dean of Social Sciences at QAU, emphasised the significance of democratisation. He noted that the conference was particularly meaningful as it featured the participation of four generations of professors and students.

Dr Aisha Younus, Assistant Professor at SPIR, QAU, used a poststructuralist lens to explore the interplay of culture, identity, and democracy in Pakistan.

She emphasised how the national identity discourse is shaped by dominant forces, particularly Islam, which serves as a central element in the country’s political framework. Dr Aisha called for new narratives that resonate with Pakistan’s diverse population to foster democratic change.

Zafarullah Khan, a parliamentary expert, discussed the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) and highlighted the controversies and challenges of decentralisation in Pakistan.

He argued that central governance had lost legitimacy in public service delivery and advocated for greater resource devolution to local governments. He proposed increasing the number of provinces and shifting fiscal responsibility directly to local governments to improve governance and conflict management.

Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Gwadar Dr Manzoor Ahmed focused on the political economy of provincial and local governments in Pakistan. He said that while devolution was constitutionally mandated, it remained incomplete, and a truly ‘functional federal structure’ was needed to sustain the federation.

Mr Ahmed highlighted the imbalanced distribution of resources with the federal government collecting the majority of revenue and controlling a significant portion of expenditures, leaving little for provincial and local governments.

Professor Dr Syed Riffaat Hussain from the National University of Sciences and Technology addressed the destabilising impact of emerging technologies on the global order. He warned that the decay of the rule-based international system, especially in the West, was leading to a growing sense of disorder and anarchy.

Dr Mohammad Mujeeb Afzal, Assistant Professor at SPIR, QAU, analysed the complexities of democratisation and party politics in South Asia. He noted that the region included both well-organised and poorly functioning democracies, where client-patron relationships dominate politics, economies are weak and most countries remain dependent with India being a partial exception.

Dr Jehan Perera, Executive Director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, discussed the challenges of majoritarianism and ethnic minority accommodation in Sri Lanka, emphasising the need for inclusive political spaces for ethnic minorities. He highlighted how strong group affiliations continue to shape Sri Lanka’s political landscape.

Dr Mohammad Shoaib, Assistant Professor Area Study Centre QAU, in a presentation on “Elite Competition and Democracy in Nepal” underscored the country’s ongoing political instability with frequent changes in government - three interim governments in just three years. He argued that intense elite competition undermines democratic progress, keeping Nepal in a state of political flux.

Dr Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Professor at University of Peshawar, discussed state formation and nation-building in Afghanistan. He expressed concerns about the centralised governance structure under the Taliban and previous regimes, noting that such centralisation hinders effective political and institutional development in the country.

Dr Ejaz Hussain, Associate Professor at the Lahore School of Economics, presented data-driven insights on democratisation and autocratisation in the global North and South. He noted that the world was witnessing a democratic backsliding with an increasing number of states exhibiting autocratic tendencies.

Dr Asma Faiz, Associate Professor at Lums, discussed centripetalism and consociationalism as governance methods for accommodating diversity. She explained that while consociationalism rewards maintaining ethnic identity centripetalism fosters interdependence between multi-ethnic parties, shaping democratic systems in diverse societies.

Others who spoke on the occasion included SPIR Director Dr Mohammad Nadeem Mirza, Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, Associate Professor at SPIR, and Dr Summar Iqbal Baber.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024