Political commentator Mazhar Abbas said Thursday that Pakistan's political system cannot run unless it is broken [1].
This critique targets the foundational structures of the country's governance and the major parties currently managing them. By suggesting that the system requires a total breakdown to function, Abbas highlights a deep-seated frustration with the perceived inability of established political entities to enact meaningful reform.
Speaking during the "Report Card" program on Geo News on July 30 [1], Abbas directed his criticism toward the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said that these parties are intertwined with a system that is fundamentally dysfunctional. The discussion aimed to hold these major parties accountable for what Abbas described as systemic failures within the state.
Other guests on the program included Shahzad Iqbal, Mehmal Sarfaraz, and Irshad Bhatti [1]. The panel discussed the current political climate in Islamabad and the challenges facing the nation's leadership. The conversation centered on whether the existing political framework can be salvaged or if it must be dismantled to allow for a new approach to governance.
Abbas said that the current cycle of political management by the PPP and PML-N has failed to address the root causes of the country's instability. The program served as a critique of the status quo, suggesting that the parties in power are beneficiaries of the very system that prevents progress. The debate emphasized the gap between the political elite and the operational needs of the state.
“the system cannot run unless it is broken”
The assertions made by Mazhar Abbas reflect a growing sentiment among some Pakistani intellectuals that incremental reform is impossible under the current leadership of the PPP and PML-N. By arguing that the system must be 'broken' to work, he is suggesting that the political infrastructure is so deeply flawed that only a systemic collapse or total overhaul can lead to genuine stability.
