Abstract
The political infrastructure of any country plays an essential role in the development of the country. The states that have a stable political structure and political institutions play an active role in regional as well as global politics. A stable political structure is the power of any state. Most third-world countries face political problems like instability, military coups, and weak political structures. Pakistan is one the Asian nations that are the major actors in South Asia, but they face many challenges in their domestic politics, such as military quo, political instability, power politics and many other issues. Due to those issues, Pakistan spends its half-life under a military dictatorship. In Pakistan, there is a parliamentary democratic political system according to the constitution, but due to amendments and the army coup, there were continuous changes occurred in the political order of Pakistan. Due to substantial military interference in politics and other internal issues, there were many times transformation between parliamentary to presidential and presidential to parliamentary forms of govt.
Introduction
Pakistan gained independence from British rule in the sub-continent and emerged as a sovereign nation on 14 August 1947 (Gilmartin and David, 2015). Pakistan has two wings: West Pakistan and East Pakistan. The Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the founder and first governor-general of Pakistan (Burki and Shahid, 2018). Liaquat Ali Khan was the first prime minister of Pakistan. In start during the Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan was a secular state, and after the death of Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, there was a massive turn in the politics of Pakistan. Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin was selected as the second governor-general of Pakistan, and he belongs to the west wing of Pakistan. After the death of founder leader Muhammad Jinnah, there was a rift start between two parts of Pakistan.
The Political History Of Pakistan:
During the life of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, all powers were served by the governor. But after the death of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, these powers transferred to the First Prime Minister (PM) Liaqat Ali Khan, and Pakistan became a state where the PM had more power than all authority exercised by the Prime Minister.
In 1951 when the first prime minister of Pakistan, Nawab Zada Liaqat Ali Khan, was killed in Rawalpindi. After the death of the first prime minister of Pakistan at that time the governor-general of Pakistan was selected as prime minister of Pakistan because, at this time, all powers were served by the PM. When the governor-general of Pakistan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, which belongs to East Pakistan (Bengal), Malik Ghulam Muhammad was appointed as a third governor-general of Pakistan, which belongs to West Pakistan (Burki and Shahid, 2018). Again power structure was changed, and the governor was more potent as compared to the Prime Minister. That is the start of a rift between the two wings of Pakistan.
In 1956, Pakistan gave its first constitution. In which presidential form of government at that time, the governor-general became the president of Pakistan, and Sikandar Mirza was the first president of Pakistan who belonged to West Pakistan.
One and half years after the first constitution of Pakistan in 1958, martial law was imposed by Military chief Ayub Khan, who argued that due to failure and tussle between the politicians of West and East Pakistan, it is the demand of time (Chaudhry, Ahmed, and Ummad, 2018). After the military quo, the first constitution of Pakistan was dismissed, and in 1962, the second constitution of Pakistan adopted in which presidential form of government according to the law of Pakistan (Finer and Samuel, 2017). The first time through the indirect Electoral College, Ayub Khan was elected as president of Pakistan.
In 1966, there was a rebellion started against the Ayub regime, and finally, in 1969, Ayub left his office. A caretaker military government first time was ruled over (Cassidy, Richard, and Philip, 2015). In 1970 first time in the history of Pakistan general election was conducted, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from West Pakistan and Awami Muslim League from East Pakistan emerged as majority parties (Karim and Arshad, 2016). No, any party compromises to sit in opposition. As a result, civil war began in East Pakistan. Due to the involvement of other regional and global powers and the use of force in 1971, former East Pakistan became an independent state. It is because of the political rift between the East and West wings of Pakistan (Cassidy, Richard, and Philip, 2015). Due to this political rift, Pakistan lost its one part.
After the partition of the east wing of Pakistan now there is only Pakistan that is former West Pakistan. After the separation of East Pakistan Pakistan People’s Party was the majority party of West Pakistan, and he made the government in Pakistan (Finer and Samuel, 2017). In 1973, the third constitution was passed by the assembly and implemented till now with numerous amendments.
In 1978, there was again military quo that toppled the Bhutto regime, and the military dictator was imposed. Military dictator Zia ul Haq’s regime was the worst time in the political history of Pakistan (Finer and Samuel, 2017). During the Zia ul Haq regime, political activities were banned. It was not a dictatorship. It was totalitarianism. At this time, there was no freedom of speech or freedom of opinion (Chaudhry, Ahmed, and Ummad, 2018). During the Zia period, there were no political activities in Pakistan. All political activities were banned.
In 1988, Zia planes crashed, and the worst military dictatorship ended. In 1988, the general election was held, and the Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as a majority party and made government in Pakistan under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (Von and Karl, 2015). Benazir Bhutto was elected First Women Prime Minister of Pakistan (Cassidy, Richard, and Philip, 2015). After a short span of two years, his government was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and a democratic process was derailed.
In 1990, another general election was conducted in which Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) emerged as a majority party in the parliament. The Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League (N) was elected as the prime minister of Pakistan. This new government also faced challenges, and in 1993, again, the democratic culture was derailed.
In 1993, a general election was contested, and again Pakistan People’s Party emerged as a majority party in parliament (Von and Karl, 2015). Benazir Bhutto takes the oath of Prime Minister for the second time. In his second tenure, she only served for a term of three years and was dismissed from her office by President Farooq Leghari by using special powers.
In 1996 another general election was conducted in which party of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) emerged as a major party in the parliament, and he elected as Prime minister of Pakistan (Karim and Arshad, 2016). He served as the prime minister of Pakistan due to the Kargil conflict between two neighbouring states, India and Pakistan There were clashes arose between the military and Nawaz governments due to which in 1999, military chief general Perwaiz Musharraf toppled the Nawaz democratic regime and another army dictatorship started in Pakistan.
In 2002 military regime conducted the so-called general election, and General Perwaiz Musharraf was elected as president of Pakistan (Finer and Samuel, 2017). General Musharraf worked in his office until he resigned. In 2007, General Musharraf left, and in 2008 general election was conducted. In this election, the Pakistan People’s Party emerged as a majority party in the parliament, and the Pakistan Muslin League (N) emerged as a second majority party in the parliament.
In the political history of Pakistan first time, a democratic government completes its tenure.
In 2013, another general election was held after the completion of the first democratic government during his tenure (Talbot and Ian, 2015). In the 2013 election Pakistan Muslim League (N) emerge as a majority party in the parliament of Pakistan. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League (N), was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the third time. He is the only Prime minister who elected three-time Prime minister of Pakistan. But He cannot complete his five year period (Talbot and Ian, 2015). Due to corruption charges and many other legal issues, the Supreme Court of Pakistan null and void and banned his participation in practical politics; after the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was appointed as prime minister of Pakistan in his office till now.
In the more than seventy-year history of Pakistan, no prime minister completed his tenure. Half of Pakistan’s political life is ruled by military dictators (Von and Karl, 2015).
Discussion
Most third-world countries face many political problems, like military coups. Pakistan is one a third-world countries located in the south of Asia. Pakistan has also faced many political difficulties since its birth. After nine years of his independence, he adopted his first constitution in 1956 (Hayes and Louis, 2016). Before the constitution nine years the newly emerging state-run state affair was without any guidelines or framework. Politicians and other groups use their powers according to their own will. There is no constitutional guideline.
Pakistan has two wings, and there was a struggle for power between these two wings of power. Due to this rift between the politicians of the two parts, there were many dramatic changes in politics. If the presidents belong to West Pakistan, then the president is vested in all the powers, and when the president belongs to East Pakistan and the prime Minister belongs to West Pakistan, then all powers are vested by the prime minister of Pakistan (Hayes and Louis, 2016). Due to this discrimination, the political environment is unsafe and insecure. As a result, after eleven years of independence, Pakistan faced its first military dictatorship, and the weak democratic system was derailed by the first army chief, General Ayub Khan.
Due to the continued interference of the military in politics, they badly hit the political structure of Pakistan, and the political structure in Pakistan cannot get strength due to which they face many problems and politicians are incompetent to run the state affairs.
Causes Of Pakistan’s Weak Political System:
There are many causes of Pakistan’s feeble political situation. India is one of the factors in the fragile political structure of Pakistan. Due to an existential threat from their first neighbour, India Pakistan is more focused on its military rather than other factors like political aspects. In Pakistan military is the only organized department in Pakistan. Due to the Indian threat, People have moral support from their military rather than the politicians (Von and Karl, 2015). In Pakistan military is more trusted as compared to politicians; people support the military in front of politicians because politicians are failing to give basic needs, and then they see towards the military. In Pakistan, the majority of people always welcome military dictators, due to which there continued military coups in Pakistan. Pakistan has 34 years out of 71 years spent under military rulers, and this period is better for the majority of the people as compared to the political ruling.
The incapability of the politicians is another leading cause due to which the military continues to interfere in the politics of the country. After the partition military developed itself, but the political structure was not improved (Von and Karl, 2015). There were many situations due to which Pakistan’s democracy could not get strength, due to which the military got a secure and safe way to interfere in the politics of Pakistan.
In Pakistan’s multi-party system, there are almost 350 political parties in Pakistan, but there is no national political party that represents the whole. Due to the lack of a national political party, the political system cannot get influential political roots, which help anti-democratic agents to participate in politics (Von and Karl, 2015). Most political parties or base on regional and ethnic issues, and they do not have national politics. When any dictator comes into politics, small political groups welcome the military.
In Pakistan, there is a lack of national political leaders, due to which when any undemocratic means are used to interfere in the politics of Pakistan, they cannot face any opposition. If there are influential national political personalities that influence the whole of Pakistan, then it is difficult for undemocratic means to derail the democratic process.
In Pakistan weak political structure. In Pakistan, after the independence, the political structure cannot be strengthened due to continued military coups and military interference in the mainstream politics of Pakistan. If in Pakistan there is a strong political institution that will help to promote democratic culture in Pakistan and strengthen the democratic culture. Political institution plays an essential role in the political structure of the country (Diamond and Larry, 2015). In Western countries, there is a strong political institution that will help and protect the democratic culture in those countries.
Political institutions of the countries are the symbol of political stability, but unfortunately, in Pakistan, the political institutions cannot get stronger. If the political constitution is powerful and strengthened in Pakistan, it will help Pakistan to have a stable political system.
In a democratic society, the society plays an essential role in the political system of any country (Diamond and Larry, 2015). In the democratic political system, society is a primary actor, and the political system is based on the participation of the community in political culture. Unfortunately, after the independence till now there was less participation of the society in the political system of Pakistan. In the Democratic political practice, the nation is the primary and vital actor on which this political system is based.
Incompetence politicians. Pakistani politicians are incompetent and that not have the ability to run state affairs. If the politicians have the competence and fulfil the demands of the people and cannot create the gap that full fill by other actors. Politicians have no competence in state affairs. Satisfying the needs and demands it’s an obstacle to an undemocratic culture to interfere in the political system.
Dharna politics and other pressure groups also negatively affect the process of democratic culture in Pakistan. Many times, the opposition parties try to derail the process when they are in opposition (Von and Karl, 2015). The political process is hindered by the anti-democratic powers because the politician has no capability, and other political groups and parties that are in opposition always welcome anti-democratic means.
The role of bureaucracy you cannot marginalize or sideline. In Pakistan, bureaucracy is more powerful than either military or civilian bureaucracy. If any political government cannot serve the interest of bureaucracy with the help of other pressure groups and political parties, they derail the process of democracy.
The weak party system is one of the major causes of the weak political system. Political parties are one of the major forces that counter military intervention in the political system of any country. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, there is a weak political party system, and they do not have mass political bases that resist anti-democratic or military interference in the political system (Von and Karl, 2015). Democracy is the process that is based on the major political parties. If there is a big political party, it is difficult for the military to inter-fair in the political system of the country.
Political parties play an essential role in strengthening democracy or democratic culture. Political parties institutionalized the diversity of opinion. It is the beauty of democracy. Political parties under the democratic culture serve as a bridge between the government and the people. Political parties need to democratize their internal structure and strengthen in masses that positively affect the political system of the country (Von and Karl, 2015). In Pakistan, the party system is weak. They create space that fills by the other non-democratic fill this space and emerge as a power in the political arena.
The non-democratic social structure is another cause due to which Pakistan’s political system is weak. Political institutions do not emerge in a vacuum. There is a close relationship between the political institutions that express the voices of societies. Pakistani society is a feudalistic society, and feudalism and democracy are two opposing norms (Von and Karl, 2015). Democracy cannot prevail in a feudalistic society. Feudalism supports and promotes the one-man show while, on the other hand, democracy is based on mass participation in the political system and in democracy, everyone is equal. In democracy, a quantitative approach is adopted. Pakistani politics was controlled by these feudal, and due to this, democracy cannot prevail in Pakistan.
In comparison to Pakistan, India emerged as a power because India abolished feudalism. In Pakistan, these feudalistic legacies prevail because the Muslim league heavily depends on the feudal. On the other hand, Congress represents the lower class, and Congress is anti-feudalism. The feudal structure society of Pakistan is a significant obstacle to the democratic culture of Pakistan (Von and Karl, 2015). Due to the feudalistic mindset, Pakistani politics promote elitism in the politics that is harmful to democracy, and in this structure, democracy cannot prevail.
Electoral System
The free and fair electoral system is one of the major components of democracy. Democracy is a form of government in which everyone has a share. Without the mass participation of the people, this system cannot prevail (Shah et al., 2017). In Pakistan, the average turnout is 40 per cent, which is very low due to that anti-democratic always derailed the process of democracy.
Pakistani electoral system is not free and fair. All elections that are contested the allegation of raging by the other major political parties. The Free and Fair election is one of the essential elements of democracy, and it plays an indispensable role in the development of political culture in the country.
Solution How We Solve These Problems
The problem of a weak democratic culture is solvable in Pakistan some essential steps need to be taken.
Feudalism is one of the major threats to democracy in Pakistan. Feudalism should be abolished immediately, and the general election should be according to the wishes of the people of Pakistan (Handel and Michael, 2016). It is needed that create a participatory culture in politics and transform political culture.
In the past, the role of the judiciary was questioned, marked it is needed that the court should be free and independent and everyone equal before the law, and stop all illegal activities.
Parliament is the symbol of a stable political system that should be sovereign and make ground-oriented legislation. Parliament makes a law that is for the betterment of Pakistan and promotes a democratic culture in Pakistan.
Insured the supremacy of the constitution of Pakistan. Free and fair elections are ensured by the Free and Independent Election Commission to prevent rigging in the election (Rose, Susan, and Bonnie, 2016). Highlight the importance of democracy and increase the mass participation of people in the electoral system that helps to strengthen the democratic culture in Pakistan.
Political parties play an influential role in the democratic political culture. To prevail the democracy in Pakistan, political parties develop a people-friendly ideology and, hence, their network in the mass participation of the people (Shah et al., 2017). Political parties need to generate strong coordination between the people (Rose, Susan, and Bonnie, 2016). Political parties need to increase their influence and counter the supremacy of nonpolitical institutions through massive public support. It is required that political parties promote democratic culture in Pakistan when they are in government or opposition. If there is a strong democratic culture in Pakistan, it is suitable for the political parties that are the direct participants and get benefits from them.
Strong political institutions are the primary requirement for the development of democracy in any country (Handel and Michael, 2016). Unfortunately, from the birth of Pakistan, political institutions were not strengthened, due to which the democratic were derailed by the dictator. If there were strong political institutions, it would have helped to protect the democratic culture in Pakistan.
Role Of Civil Society In Strengthening The Democracy
Civil society plays an important role in enhancing democracy in any country. Civil society is an influential group in any country. Civil society has strong roots that help to strengthen the democratic culture in the country. It is needed that highlight the importance of democracy in society. The societal structure plays an essential role in enhancing the democracy in Pakistan. In Pakistan majority of people like the military dictatorship as compared to democracy. If society is democratized, it will help democracy prevail in Pakistan. Because in a democratic form of government society is a primary actor that plays a most crucial role.
Conclusion
Political structure plays an essential role in the development of any country. Suppose there is a strong political system in the country, the significant country’s role. The political structure is one of the elements of the power. Unfortunately, Pakistan has a weak political system; this political system was derailed by military dictators time by time, due to which they cannot strengthen and not institutionalize. Many actors play an essential role in this regard. Military and political parties are the primary responsibility for this.
Since the birth of Pakistan, there have been clashes between the political parties and clashes between the military and politicians, due to which the political system has not strengthened in Pakistan. After nine years of independence, General Ayub Khan imposed the first martial law. Time by time, these processes will be derailed due to the clashes between politicians and the army. Due to continuing military interference in Pakistan, the Democratic culture was not strengthened.
Politicians failed to fulfil the demands of the people, and they could not gain popularity with the people. Whenever a military coup was imposed, a majority of people welcomed the military. If politician adopts people’s friendly policies and hence their area of influence in the masses of people, it will help to prevail in democratic culture in Pakistan and an obstacle for the military to interfere in politics.
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