Session 8: Political awakening in Pakistan

Pakistan is a country where politics has taken many turns from being democratic in the morning to turning into military rule overnight. In the years Pakistan has existed, its people has seen many changes in its leaders and ruing class, it has experienced both dictators and democratic leaders, it has people who have been very active participants in politics to people who are totally ignorant of their rights.

In the recent elections of 2013, Pakistan has seen a new wave of political awakening rising in the whole country. With the increasing pluralist media, the political views of different parties have reached to the masses. The Pakistani culture which was considered a civic culture with most people being passive and parochial about the politics, now it has leaned more towards a participant political culture. In the recent elections, we have seen a great number of women coming out to ensure their voice is heard in deciding the future of their country and many young and old people have come out on the streets to cast their votes and to make sure they participate in making the future of Pakistan a better democratic society. Apart from the rigging in the elections or anything as claimed by many political parties, one positive way in which the last elections has affected Pakistan is that the people are now rising to bring a positive change in the coutry and have become politically more aware of their rights.