Civilian Leadership Rule in Pakistan from 1971-2013: An Analysis

The Impact of Military Dominance on Civilian Rule in Pakistan, 1971-2013

Abstract

Most part of Pakistan’s history has been about military as the man on horseback. Civilian leadership seldom found chance to hold the reins of power and whenever it did it was only superficial. The actual reins have been held by Pakistan military in the country. Pakistan army has been, either in the back seat or front seat, but always steering the country’s domestic and foreign policy. The formative years of Pakistan were marked by absence of general elections and weak political leadership cultivating a political culture of factionalism and opportunism and socio-ethnic conflicts that paved way for the rise of bureaucratic-military oligarchy. It is important to study the period under civilian rule after the long tenure under military regime from 1958 until 1971 which led to bifurcation of the country and subsequent formation of Bangladesh. The present problems of Pakistan can be traced to the demise of democracy and its failure to re-establish itself especially with the return of civilian rule after the military failure in 1971.