ABSTRACT
The present civilian era in Pakistan is marked by two opposing trends. At one end, the structural dynamics of the post-military state are characterized by a smooth transition from one democratically elected regime to another through the 2013 elections, four provincial governments being led by different political parties, an independent judiciary, a hyperactive electronic media, and intense mobilization of various social and political groups. The ongoing legal, institutional, formal and deliberative forms of public life belie the doomsday scenario of a failing state. At the other end, the graph of operational dynamics of governance has grossly fallen. Two major factors are at play here: first, the lack of will or capacity of the state establishment to eliminate terrorism carried out under Islamic cover in all of its forms and manifestations; and, second, the simmering tension in civil-military relations over unresolved issues such as relations with India, in particular the military’s re-assertion after the late 2014 protests and subsequent terrorist incidents in Peshawar and elsewhere. Which one of these two trends prevails will determine the future of democracy in Pakistan. This chapter analyses both structural and operational aspects of democratic governance. The discussion covers key determinants of the collapse of the state’s delivery system in terms of the lack of institutional capacity, religious-sectarian conflicts, and gaps in civil-military relations. The crisis of governance is first theoretically contextualized and explained, and then challenges arising from terrorism and civil-military tensions are analysed. The chapter offers a fresh analysis of different areas of the Pakistani state, including the politics of Islam, ethnicity, law and politics, and foreign policy. Its concluding part suggests a way out of the prevailing political, administrative and security logjam.
