ABSTRACT
Pakistan has attracted more scholarly attention than have most other third world countries, many of which are underdeveloped, Islamic, or have colonial backgrounds. Pakistan is thus a new state built on a complicated historical legacy consisting of modern, traditional, secular and religious components. In the course of Pakistan's history, there have been several competing arguments on the issue of authority. Pakistan, like all societies, has a political culture, but it is characterized by deep divisions and a poorly defined sense of self. In Pakistan, consideration of the ends of social and political life, except in the context of Islam, has been truncated. Pakistan's political culture, composed of diverse elements such as provincial or group loyalties, has lacked a unifying cement apart from Islam. In Pakistan there has been little inclination to accept the legitimacy of political institutions. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
