Civil-Military Relationship In An Ideological State: A Case Of Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan like many state of the world has been experiencing direct and indirect military interventions in the politics since 1950s. This non-elected institution got dominant position at the very onset of country’s independence. The lack of experienced and visionary political leadership and their prioritisation of their own interests seriously hurt the political institution. In addition, weak socio-economic conditions, civilian institutions failure, and continuation of colonial state structure contribute to the pre-dominance position of the armed forces are few of the factors that played instrumental role. However, this manuscript examines that the state ideology, Pakistan's relationships with its neighbours, particularly Afghanistan and India, and internal and external threats to the state ideology and integrity posed by socialists, secularists, and ethnic nationalists give the Pakistani army more power to interfere in domestic politics.