I apologize for altering Nietzsche’s historic statement from “Thus spoke Zarathustra” for the construction of the title. Religions, both invented and divine, came as liberators of humanity. Yet history confirms that the very liberating codes were manipulated by humans turning liberation into subjugation. The age of Renaissance and Enlightenment was acknowledged as a defining leap towards liberating humanity from its sufferings under cunning connivance between the church and divine monarchies, enjoying unfettered authority. Age-old resentment against the Church and Crown nexus ultimately culminated in the French Revolution, hailed as a departure from an era of exploitation and entry into a new era of human liberation.

Proclaimed divine rights of kings and queens were replaced with concepts of individual and social rights and evolved through argumentative debates among political and social scientists/philosophers. Crowns were dethroned by republics, monarchies were displaced by democracies, absolutism was exchanged for constitutionalism, authority was regulated by laws, and allegiance was traded for patriotism.

But facts of history reveal that despite scientific, technological, and ideological progress, human liberation remained in suspension even through post Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Revolution eras. Newly found nations were soon sucked into a bloodbath of conflicts. Each nation is willing to kill and get killed to establish the superiority of their newly discovered national and racial prides. After suffering the disasters of two world wars, wreaking havoc with cultures, civilizations, races, and nations through barbarian colonization of regions throughout the continents of Americas, Australia, Asia, and Africa, these bloodthirsty victorious nations rising from the promise of the liberation of renaissance and enlightenment set forth a world order by breaking, creating, deleting, and rearranging nation-states for the world we continue to live in, today.

The end of World War marked the beginning of the cold war between capitalism and communism. After the disintegration of the USSR, the USA became the sole superpower of the world. Democracy intertwined with capitalism was declared the new political religion and address of peace, progress, prosperity, and liberty for humanity. Ironically, while the USA, the global flagbearer of democracy, was distributing pamphlets on democracy and human rights to states around the world it was simultaneously invading sovereign states and dropping cluster bombs on Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Lebanon besides engineering regimes’ changes in Middle East, South America, and rest of the world. All in the name of democracy.

Recent war history data of the world validates the fact that no socialist or communist or dictatorial state has ever invaded a democratic state, barring a few exceptions of neighboring countries with a history of preexisting conflicts. On the contrary, democratic America and its NATO alliance of democratic European states are guilty of indiscriminate invasions of nations and states around the globe, making it hard to differentiate Western democracy from violent/terrorist democracy. Even today democracies of the United States of America and its European ally states are busy sponsoring the nastiest human rights violation and ghastliest ethnic cleansing campaign, in the history of mankind, in Gaza and Raffa, at the hands of Israel, yet another democracy.

On the diplomatic horizons, American democracy had the most lasting strategic and economic relationships with authoritarian rulers from the Middle East, Africa, Far East Asia to Pakistan. It is no secret that Pakistan has always enjoyed its best diplomatic relations with America during military dictators’ regimes. From General Ayub Khan, and General Zia ul Haq, to General Pervez Musharaf Pakistan had been the most trusted partner of the United States of America. However, democratic regimes from Liaqat Ali Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, to Imran Khan, have always been considered problematic by the USA. Seeing the comfort level of American democracy with dictatorships around the world as well as in Pakistan one can not resist questioning the values of American and Western democracies. Pressler Amendment is another classic example to demonstrate American hypocrisy towards democracy. The Pressler amendment, proposing economic and military aid sanctions on Pakistan due to its nuclear program, was passed in the US Congress in August 1985 while Military dictator General Zia Ul Haq ruled Pakistan. However, the amendment remained in cold storage throughout the military dictator’s rule. Sanctions proposed in the Pressler amendment were imposed on Pakistan later in October 1990 when the first democratically elected woman, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Prolonged military rules in Pakistan and their quid-pro-quo policies with various governments in America kept America comfortable with dictatorships. With strong American support military establishment in Pakistan always enjoyed a decisive influence on the politics of Pakistan. Democracy in Pakistan remained subject to the establishment’s sanction. The political party in power had to remain compliant with the establishment’s advisory. Noncompliance with the establishment’s directives meant an immediate departure from power as the party in opposition was always keen to oblige the establishment. Establishment successfully juggled the ball of powerless power between two major political parties, through the nineties before both parties decided to stop playing the establishment’s symphony and signed the “Charter of Democracy (COD)” to preserve democracy, pledging not to corroborate with establishment against one another.

The COD move limited the establishment’s control resultantly for the first time in the history of Pakistan an elected government successfully completed its term of five years when PPP ruled from 2008 to 2013. To fail the progress of democracy under two major parties in Pakistan, a third option was necessitated for establishment. One of the most popular sporting heroes with a playboy image, who had successfully led Pakistan’s cricket team to world cup glory in 1992, was taken in as political interne and his party was patronized by the establishment and maneuvered to power in elections of 2018.

Besides the third option, an all-encompassing support system was installed in every state institution. The entire information space was also managed in favor of the third option. The charismatic protagonist of the third option was a perfect fit for lofty promises and political propaganda constructed around his larger-than-life image. Unfortunately, while our hero knew the art of captivating his followers, he had no skills when it came to statecraft and governance. Hence, instead of seeking his survival in performance, he saw his survival in absolute eradication of the opposition. No wonder, his sole priority became the elimination of political opposition. State institutions callously used for the purpose, started to decay, diplomatic relations with friendly nations deteriorated, the economy of the state plummeted, inflation soared while his authoritarian populism flourished, and the state structure started to crumble. Riding the wave of populism third option was now threatening to destroy not only its creators but the entire framework of the state. High on the populist wave third option declared itself “the law”. Constitutionalism was replaced with populism while fascism became the new political normal.

This phenomenon is not unique to Pakistan alone. From America, Europe, Africa, to Asia populist movements are tormenting states’ structures in the name of democracy. The murder of democracy has become justifiable with the argument of popularity. Democracy killed Socrates 2500.