Free shipping on orders over $99
The Army and Democracy

The Army and Democracy

Military Politics in Pakistan

by Aqil Shah
Hardback
Publication Date: 29/04/2014

Share This Book:

 
$70.95
Since Pakistan gained independence in 1947, only once has an elected government completed its tenure and peacefully transferred power to another elected government. In sharp contrast to neighboring India, the Muslim nation has been ruled by its military for over three decades. Even when they were not directly in control of the government, the armed forces maintained a firm grip on national politics. How the military became Pakistan's foremost power elite and what its unchecked authority means for the future of this nuclear-armed nation are among the crucial questions Aqil Shah takes up in The Army and Democracy.

Pakistan's and India's armies inherited their organization, training, and doctrines from their British predecessor, along with an ethic that regarded politics as outside the military domain. But Pakistan's weak national solidarity, exacerbated by a mentality that saw war with India looming around every corner, empowered the military to take national security and ultimately government into its own hands. As the military's habit of disrupting the natural course of politics gained strength over time, it arrested the development of democratic institutions.

Based on archival materials, internal military documents, and over 100 interviews with politicians, civil servants, and Pakistani officers, including four service chiefs and three heads of the clandestine Inter-Services Intelligence, The Army and Democracy provides insight into the military's contentious relationship with Pakistan's civilian government. Shah identifies steps for reforming Pakistan's armed forces and reducing its interference in politics, and sees lessons for fragile democracies striving to bring the military under civilian control.
ISBN:
9780674728936
9780674728936
Category:
Political science & theory
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
29-04-2014
Language:
English
Publisher:
Harvard University Press
Country of origin:
United States
Pages:
416
Dimensions (mm):
235x156x24mm
Weight:
0.75kg

Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available

Reviews

Be the first to review The Army and Democracy.