‘Citizens free to question state policy’

People cannot be stopped from disagreeing with or dissenting from the government under any law, as long as they remain within the boundaries set by the Constitution, legal and political experts have opined.

As the government has openly warned people against dissenting from its current foreign policy, arguing that it creates confusion among friendly states about Pakistan’s stated position, political and legal analysts have termed the move a “crude form of repression”. They say such measures are often a hallmark of fascist and totalitarian regimes.

The state treats dissent as the first stage of mutiny and therefore spares no effort to suppress it, they said, adding that the government cannot coerce its people into pledging allegiance to its policies as citizens have every right to question and dissent from state policy.

Former Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmed said the claim that the Constitution does not permit people to question state policy, particularly regarding the country’s foreign relations, is incorrect and reflects ignorance of the basic principles of the Constitution.

He said people can disagree with any decision of the state according to their understanding, as long as they remain within the ambit of the law. He added that citizens are not duty-bound under the Constitution to have faith in the government’s decisions. On the contrary, he said, the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Former caretaker Punjab chief minister and senior political analyst Hasan Askari said it was not surprising that the government treats dissent as anti-state. Under the present setup, he said, the question of what is legal and what is not becomes largely irrelevant. He added that, unfortunately, those in power can get away with almost anything.

Even in matters related to political differences, the government resorts to the same corrosive measures to deal with the opposition, Askari maintained.

He said “this was not a political government, so public opinion does not matter to it”.

The former caretaker Punjab chief minister noted that Pakistan should avoid involvement in any regional conflict and maintain a neutral policy.

Senior journalist Salman Abid observed that the state wants to rid the country of any opposition.

He said the government believes its decision-making should not be subject to public scrutiny and questioned who actually decides state policy, noting that even parliament was not taken on board in the matter at hand.

He stated that “decisions taken behind closed doors, without any public input”, are expected to be fully backed by the state. He added that if someone chooses to disagree with state policy, there is no clear way to voice that dissent.

He further said this shows that Pakistan has learned nothing from its past mistakes, noting that many policies the current government criticises were once state policies themselves. He warned that such “oppressive measures” will only further alienate people from the state.