Pakistan's Political Parties: Surviving between Dictatorship and Democracy (South Asia in World Affairs)

Pakistan's 2018 general elections marked the second successful transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another ― a remarkable achievement considering the country's history of dictatorial rule. Pakistan's Political Parties examines how the civilian side of the state's current regime has survived the transition to democracy, providing critical insight into the evolution of political parties in Pakistan and their role in developing democracies in general. Pakistan's numerous political parties span the ideological spectrum, as well as represent diverse regional, ethnic, and religious constituencies. The essays in this volume explore the way in which these parties both contend and work with Pakistan's military-bureaucratic establishment to assert and expand their power. Researchers use interviews, surveys, data, and ethnography to illuminate the internal dynamics and motivations of these groups and the mechanisms through which they create policy and influence state and society. Pakistan's Political Parties is a one-of-a-kind resource for diplomats, policymakers, journalists, and scholars searching for a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's party system and its unlikely survival against an interventionist military, with insights that extend far beyond the region. "Pakistan's Political Parties provides a comprehensive overview of the country's major party politics and updates our understanding of Pakistan's evolving political system. The Pakistan general elections of 2018 marked the second successful transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another. This was only the second time in the country's history that a civilian government had completed its full five-year term in office. The contributors analyze the role of the military, bureaucracy, and judiciary in politics, but the major contribution of the volume is to refresh our understanding of how Pakistan's political parties are functioning and surviving in the country's improving though fragile democracy. Pakistan's parties are myriad and each represents a distinct interest from left, right, and/or populist to religion, region, ethnicity, reform, or some combination thereof. Studying their internal workings, motivations, mechanisms for influencing both state and society, and capacity to make policy provides an excellent opportunity to shed light on exactly how Pakistan's developing democracy functions. This book is one of a kind and will be the go-to reference for anyone interested in learning about politics in Pakistan"-- Provided by publisher