ABSTRACT

Praetorianism comes from the term praetorian guard that protected the Roman emperor. In the contemporary context, it refers to ruling society by force, especially by the military. Military dictatorships were common in the underdeveloped world following World War II, but are less so today. Pakistan is a classic example of a praetorian state. In the absence of popular-representative institutions, the political system has been dominated by a triumvirate of the military, the bureaucracy and conservative religious groups. After independence, Indian and Pakistan militaries superficially reflected the British military tradition uniforms, marching style, organization, and the like. The martial tradition inherited from the British and the prominent role of the military in Pakistan's politics has been sustained by the enduring hostile relationship with India. Pakistan's military perceives internal political problems, especially ethnic and sectarian violence to be the result of "covert and nefarious activities of India's intelligence agencies.