What does democracy mean in a country where power remains hereditary and where parliament is a hedged colony of capital? A number of prominent political figures, including ministers whose lineage traces back to the repressive regimes of Field Marshal Ayub and General Zia, now lecture the nation about social justice, freedom and democracy, and lament martial law. The dramatic irony is deafening. Beneficiaries and heirs of undemocratic systems now posture as their victims. The same old families, reborn in every election cycle, continue to control narratives of "reform" while the ordinary woman, the domestic worker, the young graduate, and the teacher in a rural school remain disempowered, unseen and uninvited to the table.

A 2022 study, using data for the 2002, 2008 and 2013 general electio

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