Introduction

Since its inception in 1947, Pakistan has faced numerous crises, from one-off catastrophic events, to the slow and steady intensification of debilitating conditions. The discourses through which crisis has been framed have been put securely in place through the exertions of disciplines such as political science, economics and more recently security studies. ¹ These disciplines have traditionally been in close relationships to states by putting themselves in the service of states while serving to evaluate them. It is no different in Pakistan. ² In fact, the three most obdurate evaluations of crises — the failure of the state, the failure of nationalism, and the external influence on the country compromising national sovereignty and security — were put in place quite early in Pakistan’s history. Moreover, these evaluations have greatly influenced subsequent intellectual inquiry and analysis in Pakistan.