POLITICAL EVOLUTION OF PAKISTAN

Introduction –
 Nature of Political crises
 How to approach to study Pakistan’s Politics?
 Even-Odd decade debate
 Civil Military regimes

 Historical Context
 1947-2008: Discontinuity of the political process, Ping-Pong pattern
 Ruling Coalitions; five oligarchies:
a) Military
b) Bureaucracy
c) Industrialist Merchant Class
d) Political Elite
e) Religious Elite

 Current Perspective
 2008-2020: Successful democrats (2013-2018)
 Transition’s Reasons:
a) Media
b) New Judiciary
c) Expansion of Civil society
d) Political activism of Urban Classes
e) Military Restraining
f) Issue of militancy and capacity of Civilians alternative
g) External factors – No Cold War, Globalization Paradigm

 Future of Democracy in Pakistan

 Almost shared narrative, However challenges are there:
a) Governance
b) Institutional Reforms
c) Dynastic Politics
d) Reforms within political parties
 e) New legislation
f) Structural reform
g) National agenda Vs. Institutional agenda
h) Participatory Vs. Majoritarian democracy
i) Local self-government

 Conclusion – Long-term political stability through democracy

Sources: e-book, article by Niaz Murtaza (Dawn, Dictatorship or Democracy),

Zahid Hussain (Dawn, Democracy Challenges)
 CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS
 Introduction
 Military as a political reality in Pakistan
 Why do militaries intervene in politics?
a) Theoretical Perspective

 Factors leading to Military Intervention:

 Pakistan’s creation as a security conscious state
 Two hostile neighborhood
 India factor – Prolonged military partnership with USA
 Lackluster performance of civilian regimes
 Façade of economic development and political stability under
military regime
 Externally geostrategic location and the Cold War

 Historical Context
 1947-51
a) Jinnah’s orders to Gracy
b) Assassination of Liaqut and subsequent TROIKA rule in Pakistan –
1951-56
Ghulam Muhammad –
Bureaucrat

Ayub Khan – Military CIVIL Sikander Mirza –

MILITARY Military
NEXUS

 1958 – 69: Ayub Khan (Tailor Made

const.)
 1969 – 71: Yahya Khan
 1971 – Bhutto Regime
a) Purging of the Generals, reorganizing
 b) The Military command structure (article 6, 245 in the Const. of
1973)

 1977 – 88: Zia Regime

a) P.C.O 1981
b) 8th Amendment 1985
c) Depoloticization

 1988-99 – TROIKA PERIOD (Multiple Democratic abortion)

 1999-2008 – Musharraf Era
a) P.C.O 1999
b) L.F.O 2002
c) 17th Amendment

 2008-2020:
a) Rethinking with military
b) Factors already discussed (as factors that led up to successful
democratic transitions)

 Methods employed by successive military rulers to perpetuate their rule

a) Selective cooption
b) Containment
c) Collateralization
d) External environment and economic development

 What lies ahead?

a) Need to learn from Portugal & Turkey
b) Credible Civilian Alternative

Sources: Dr. Hassan Askari – ( Military and Politics in Pakistan), Express Tribune
(Dr. Hassan article, Civil Military Relations), Dawn (Zahid Hussain, Democracy
Challenges)