ABSTRACT
An analysis of the military interventions of 1977 and 1999 excavates further evidence on the saliency of the armed services as the core executive in Pakistan. The 1977 coup sheds light, for example, on the constitutional measures adopted by the military for extending its control of the public sphere. These measures included strengthening the office of the president (at a time when the presidency was occupied by the serving army chief) and introducing a 10 per cent job quota for the military officers in the public sector and government departments, among others. The aftermath of the military intervention of 1999 shows similar characteristics. We argue these measures enable the military to penetrate civil society. A brief reference is made of the post-communist European states to understand why in these cases the militaries did not intervene or influence political developments at times of profound political change. It is likely that the non-intervention in the post-communist states is best explained by the history and experience of civilian control over the military, exercised by the communist party in these cases.
