The emergence of technology has given birth to digital democracy in digitally-driven society. Many developed countries have opted for the digital democratic model and are progressing leaps and bounds. Estonia, a northern European state, was one of the countries that introduced an e-voting system in her democratic practices. Estonia not only started practicing the e-voting system but also introduced e-licensing, e-services, e-banking and e-commerce at the larger level. As a result, Estonia, on the one hand, saves its time and resources at the larger level and on the other, she also achieves the standard of transparency and accountability in its state.
In this digital age, countries which have sound digitalized infrastructure and mechanisms, perform well in all spheres of life. From e-voting, e-banking, e-government system, e-commerce to online complaint submission, each and everything has been practised in a digital way in today’s digital world. Adaptation of digital democratic practices to ensure the transparency, accountability, performativity and mass participation in socio-political and economic practices or processes is the core strength of a digitally well-equipped state.
In this regard, information communication technology (ICT) is involved in each sphere of life. From e-vote, online discussion, e-commerce and decision making to online tax paying, obtaining a driving licence through the internet, each and every corner of life revolves around technology in a digital democracy. The supporting wheel, in a digital democracy, is the media which plays a key role in changing the regime, toppling government or bringing social change in a society. The cases of the Arab Spring in the Middle East, the Twitter revolution in Iran and the 2016 election of the USA, which was criticized by the CIA that Russian spies were involved in election through the media, were glaring examples in this regard. Social media plays a drastic and groundbreaking role on the socio-political and economic fronts.
Thus, digitalization is rising leaps and bounds in digitally well-equipped states. Nonetheless, democracy interplays with technology which ensures the space for sound digital democratic culture. But the problems fall in countries which have poor technological infrastructure.
Pakistan, being a developing country, has a poor technological infrastructure owing to which it is confronting myriad challenges to practise digital democracy across the country in the true sense. In Pakistan, on the one hand, there is a paucity of wide-ranging technological networks or availability, and on the other, the country has a poor digital literacy rate. Similarly, cyber security and cyber-related crimes are a major threat for a country which has poor technological expertise and digital literate people.
However, it goes without saying that, for Pakistan, opting or exercising actual digital democracy demands sincere efforts. Implementing the digital Pakistan Policy 2021 at the grassroots level would be the first initiative. This digital Pakistan policy should be implemented across the country if Pakistan wants to adopt the real digital democracy. From Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan, there ought to be internet accessibility, connectivity, and a chain of technological infrastructure at an equal level.
According to the Digital Pakistan report and Global overview report, Pakistan with the population of 220 million has only 61 million internet users. Kepios, an internet analysis organization, reveals that in Pakistan there are only 20 million females who have access to internet service. Additionally, there are various backward and far-flung areas which still don’t have 3G service; while 4G and 5G are a far cry. In this regard, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and Frontier regions are the glaring examples. As a result, these regions not only suffer at the education front, but also become deprived of the ability to exercise the democratic rights to use the internet and participate in democratic process. The irony of fate was such that in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, the students of Balochistan, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan suffered the most due to unavailability of internet when all the institutions shifted their mode of instruction to online teaching. As a result, their educational performances got affected owing to the unavailability of internet.
It is a bitter irony that there are various regions in Pakistan where internet services have been blocked owing to security issues. In these cases, various districts of Balochistan, since the emergence of the security issue, still have no internet service. 3G and 4G services are blocked. Similarly, some of the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are also in this list of no-internet service. These regions not only get affected on the socio-political grounds but also they are compelled to suffer on the education and economic fronts.
The question arises here, whether in such a haphazard situation, digital democracy can function effectively. However, digital democracy would take time to flourish in Pakistan. Because it is hard to interplay technology with democracy in a country which is confronting disparity at the digital and technological levels.
Nanjala Nyabola, a political analyst, author based in Kenya, wrote a book titled Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era is Transforming Kenya, in which she claimed that Third World countries are not at that position to opt for digital democracy as a whole.
This is so because Third World countries are facing various bottlenecks on myriad fronts. On the one hand, there is a massive illiteracy rate, grinding poverty, miserable socio-economic conditions, and on the other, there is zero know-how about the usage of the internet among those who have the ability and means to use it. There is a large population in developing countries which are deprived of very basic necessities. In this regard, digital literacy and internet accessibility is a far cry.
At the same time, those who have the availability of the internet and use social media are less aware about the true, effective and productive usage of the internet. As a result, a number of people with naïve political ideology get exploited. It is a pathetic condition for the developing country’s masses, in the epoch of digitalization, who still neither have realized the worth of digitalization, nor have the effective accessibility of internet and technological infrastructure.
However, it goes without saying that, for Pakistan, opting or exercising actual digital democracy demands sincere efforts. Implementing the digital Pakistan Policy 2021 at the grassroots level would be the first initiative. This digital Pakistan policy should be implemented across the country if Pakistan wants to adopt the real digital democracy. From Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan, there ought to be internet accessibility, connectivity, and a chain of technological infrastructure at an equal level.
Similarly, in this regard, the provision of digital skills and training services would play a groundbreaking role in digitalization process. But first, for digital democracy, it is indispensable there should be a digital and technological chain or network across the country. There should be cyber security cell like cyber troops mechanism to contain cyber related crimes and issues.
All in all, in this whole process and practice, the web of technology matters the most to support the flourishment of democratic culture if country is serious to take timely measures.
