Quiz 2

1. List any two reasons presented by Hassan Askari Rizvi, for the military not intervening in politics
in the period following Zia’s plane crash. (2)

Any two of the following:

- Many in the military still ascribe to a professional sense of their role and are hesitant to
enter directly into Politics unless absolutely necessary

- Zia had already announced elections in 1988, this would have made it awkward for the
military to intervene

- Senior officials in the military were aware of the fact that the reputation of the military
had been adversely affected during Zia’s regime

- The new COAS (Gen. Baig) was not sure of the support of the Army’s senior echelons

- The political situation in the aftermath of Zia’s plane crash was peaceful and stable;
postponing elections would have exacerbated the situation.

2. Explain why Bangladesh is more homogenous in terms of population than (West) Pakistan. (1)

West Pakistan was a transit area in its ancient history; and according to the author, is today ‘a
jumble of many ethnicities and sects’. Lending its population, a heterogeneous character.

Bangladesh on the other hand was relatively cut off from the rest of India and the west until the
Ganges river changed course, after that a Bengali nation emerged which, through a long process
of assimilation, turned foreign invaders and rulers into Bengalis as well. This lends the Bengali
people a sense of nationhood that is just not possible in Pakistan.

3. Briefly describe any two factors that Waseem identifies for the democratic downslide in
Pakistan. (3)

Please refer to M. Waseem reading for Session 5 (specifically pages 4532-4533) for a review of
the ideas discussed hereunder.

Any two of the following along with a brief explanation:

The contribution of the migrants to state formation

The role of India as a factor in shaping the civil-military relations in Pakistan in favour of the
latter

Islam has been a major point of reference in the political discourse in Pakistan – lending
morality, political conservatism, Islamic identity and developmental vision to the evolving
national ethos of Pakistan. After partition, the western-educated Muslim League leadership
continued to espouse the cause of Islam even as the ulema constantly prodded them for turning
their back on their promises to establish the rule of Sharia law.

The Army is at the heart of the power structure in Pakistan.

4. How did security concerns affect relations between the center and the provinces? (2)

The onset of an early conflict in the case of Kashmir affected the Pakistani state in a number of
important ways. Particularly, when considering the effects on relations between the center and
the provinces the following effects can be identified:

1. The overarching security concerns made domestic considerations less important

2. There was a widespread belief that internal discord would threaten external security

3. The agenda of the military became the dominant agenda of the state

4. Any challenge from a regional base considered as an irredentist claim and vilified
accordingly

5. No patience for regional concerns and considerations

6. No real devolution of power and authority; limited provincial autonomy

7. Monopolization of state resources by the center

8. Any other point in the same vein.

5. What is the difference between Bengali and Bangladeshi Nationalism? (2)

Bengali nationalism perceives its identity in the form of a Bengali speaking nation, both Hindu
and Muslim, spread between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladeshi nationalism considered its identity to be a Muslim nation of Bengali speakers

confined within the borders of Bangladesh.