By Syed Atiq ul Hassan, 11 Sep 2024, Australia: A three-day International Land Défense Weapons Conference is currently underway in Melbourne, Australia’s largest industrial hub. This event sees the participation of government and military representatives from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, who are engaging in the sale and purchase of weaponry at an exhibition organized by AMDA Foundation Limited – An Australian corporation established to promote the development of aviation and Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information/communications technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security. International arms and weaponry manufacturing companies are participating in this international exhibition.
Simultaneously, outside the venue, hundreds of civilians are staging protests against the military-industrial complex, the proliferation of arms, and the wars they fuel.
Among those attending the conference are Australia’s top defence officials. Yet, amidst this high-level gathering, there is a striking display of democratic values—no Army General, Top Bureaucrats, Ministers or Prime Minister is speaking out against the protesters. The police stand guard, maintaining a barrier for security, but crucially, they are not suppressing or silencing the demonstrators. No one is arrested for voicing their dissent. This is what real democracy looks like—where the rule of law, civil liberties, and freedom of expression are respected.
In stark contrast, Pakistan’s rulers’ parade under the guise of democracy, seated beneath Quranic verses, while the reality they preside over is far from democratic. Voices of dissent are systematically crushed. Intelligence agencies abduct ordinary citizens and political leaders from the parliament building, subjecting them to torture and framing them in false cases. This is not democracy; it is an authoritarian facade that oppresses the citizens it claims to represent.
Pakistanis must awaken to their own strength. The powerful institutions that derive their existence from taxpayer money are meant to serve the people, not subjugate them. To restore these institutions to their rightful place as public servants, a revolution—both in thought and action—is essential. Sacrifices will have to be made so that future generations may breathe the air of freedom and enjoy the basic rights that every human being deserves.
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