The Pakistan Military in Politics: Predicament of a Garrison State

A talk by Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University at Azim Premji University. About the Topic This lecture highlights how and why the Pakistan military (read the Pakistan Army), which was initially weak and poorly armed and uninvolved in politics, not only became a middle-range nuclear power but also the most powerful institution in Pakistan. It came to enjoy virtually de facto veto powers in Pakistani politics. Two factors have played a crucial role in the rise of the Pakistan military: a real or imagined fear of Indian aggression, and the failure of the politicians to agree to a constitutional formula that could help establish democracy. It is argued that Pakistan inherited a strong state and a weak society and therefore the bureaucratic-military oligarchy was more developed than society. The Pakistani power elite exploited the contradictions in the international political system to acquire foreign patrons and donors willing to arm it as part of the Cold