Political Parties Without Internal Democracy Cannot End Military Dictatorship: Iqrar-ul-Hassan

ISLAMABAD:Awam Raj Tehreek chief Iqrar-ul-Hassan has criticized the lack of internal democracy within Pakistan’s political parties, arguing that leaders who act like dictators within their own parties cannot bring genuine democracy to the country.

In a video statement posted on X, Iqrar-ul-Hassan questioned how political parties that lack democracy internally can establish democracy in the country. He also questioned how leaders who do not follow their own party constitutions can claim to support constitutional supremacy.

He said political parties that do not practice merit internally cannot introduce merit across Pakistan. According to Iqrar-ul-Hassan, if party leaders genuinely believed in democracy, they would first establish democratic systems within their own organizations.

He alleged that political leaders who exercise authoritarian control over their parties neither want nor are capable of ending military dictatorship, claiming that they seek to retain military influence so they can use it against their political opponents when in power.

Iqrar-ul-Hassan further argued that leaders who cannot tolerate opposing views within their own parties would struggle to accept political dissent after coming into government. He accused them of promoting loyalists and flatterers instead of capable members of the middle class.

He said party leaders fear the emergence of competent young people and ordinary citizens because a system based on merit and internal elections could eventually threaten their own positions and authority.

According to Iqrar-ul-Hassan, political leaders want ordinary citizens to attend their rallies, chant slogans, follow their vehicles and promote them on social media rather than become politically empowered themselves.

He called on citizens to build a political party that practices democracy internally if they want to establish democracy in the country. He also advocated creating a party owned and controlled by the middle class to address its problems.

Iqrar-ul-Hassan invited people to join the **Awam Raj Tehreek**, saying that he would hold no office, position or authority within the proposed system. He said the party would seek to bring forward the children of workers, farmers, street vendors, craftsmen and teachers, with the aim of establishing what he described as **“people’s rule”** in Pakistan.