1) They're called rose-tinted glasses for a reason. Many like to believe their favourite country/college/restaurant etc. was much better in the past. Often, the truth is that things were as bad as they are now, maybe even worse.
2) One of my favourite examples of this is Pakistan. People tend to say things went downhill after Zia. But the truth is that things were awful from the start; governments were being dismissed in the late 1940s, minorities were being attacked in the early 1950s...
3) Liberties were suppressed, poverty was rampant, the elite was corrupt and parasitical, and an unequal and unjust distribution of power between the provinces birthed Bangladesh and gave rise to serious ethnic conflict in the rest of Pakistan. The injustice we see today is...
4) A continuation of older tendencies and processes that have arguably been reinforced over time by the entrenchment of actors - civilian and military - motivated by parochial self-interest. Indeed, even a brief visit to any newspaper archive in Pakistan will show that...
5) The idea of Pakistan passing through a 'delicate' or 'critical' juncture is one that has been deployed from the very beginning. Even the language used is the same as what we see today! The glowing tributes paid to dictators like Ayub Khan...
6) Tales of Hollywood celebrities visiting Pakistan, of night clubs and a more 'liberal' environment, all mask a long history of inequality and brutality. As Pakistan confronts yet another 'regional environment' fraught with danger and risks, it is worth asking why the country...
7) Appears to be so bereft of options and friends. Deep introspection is required to understand how the policies and ideas of the past, resurrected time and again by the same actors who instituted them before, have played a role in bringing Pakistan to this point.
8) Contrary to the narrative often peddled by the state, Pakistan is not the victim of some vast international conspiracy nor is it a lone voice crusading for justice in an indifferent world. It is a poor, badly governed country whose unwise strategic decisions have left it...
9) dealing with serious domestic problems - inequality, violence, and extremism - and a shoddy international reputation. External actors may harbour ill intentions towards Pakistan, but much of the mess is of the country's own making. Recognizing this is the first step towards...
10) Fixing things. Whether it is the question of fighting for the rights of Kashmiris or being able to rely on supposed friends and allies for support, Pakistan must set its own house in order first. That will not be accomplished by acquiescing to a status quo that simply...
11) Reproduces the mistakes of the past. As someone who studies Pakistan, it is sometimes dispiriting to see how little things have changed over time and how predictable the country's politics is. For Pakistan to prosper, it's future needs to start looking less like its past.
12) Needless to say, #tabdeeli isn't the change this country needs.
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2. The scene is set. You are a new army chief about to preside over your first elections. You want an outcome that suits your political interests while maintaining a façade of democratic legitimacy that makes it easier to talk to foreign donors and 'allies' (not that they care).
3. How exactly do you go about doing this? The first thing you recognize is that the best elections (for you) are the ones where the outcome is determined before polling even takes place. There is a long history of pre-poll rigging in Pakistan, and this is what you turn to.
1. Defections are not new to Pakistani politics and historically, politicians have defected from parties for a number of reasons. I discuss some of these below but first, it is important to acknowledge that a) defections DO weaken parties, and b) they CAN strengthen the military.
2. Research has shown that up to 19% of ALL electoral candidates between 1990 and 2008 switched parties before general elections, with 60% of these being candidates who ranked amongst the top three in their constituencies.
1. The end of the PTI government and the return to power of the PML-N and PPP has once again prompted a discussion of dynastic politics in Pakistan. This is an important issue that merits attention.
Dynastic politics in Pakistan - a thread.
2. Much of the discussion about dynastic politics focuses on the leadership of the PML-N and PPP, highlighting how the Sharifs and the Bhuttos have monopolized power and decision-making in their parties. There are a number of reasons why this can be problematic.
3. Concentrating power in the hands of one family can prevent parties from becoming more internally democratic, impeding the development and promotion political talent. It breeds nepotism, can stymie the emergence of new ideas, and undermines effective political campaigning.
1. The Sehat Card has helped a lot of people and will continue to do so. Once introduced, welfare programmes are difficult to rollback and I think it would be a serious mistake for the PML or any other party to end this one.
2. As I have argued in the past, there are a few problems at the heart of Sehat Card Programme that need to be addressed if it is to become sustainable.
First, by paying for treatment at private hospitals, it risks having the government pay for inflated healthcare costs.
3. Absent meaningful regulation of the private sector, hospitals can and will overcharge for services or exploit loopholes to extract maximum profits from the Sehat Cand in exchange for minimal services. There is some evidence this is already happening.
Any party that wishes to build a more democratic and progressive Pakistan must do the following:
1. Take a principled stand against Establishment interference in politics. No more deals, no more reliance on Establishment support to attack and suppress rivals. The costs always prove to be too high
2a. Don't rely on 'electables' to win elections. They represent entrenched elite interests, extracting rents and protecting their interests as a class.
The same applies for so-called 'ATMs' and other financiers.
Electables and ATMs also tend to come with Establishment backing.
1. Like clockwork, #WeWantsPresidentialSystem is trending once again in Pakistan. The demand for a presidential system in Pakistan is not new, and has historically been linked to a desire for more a more autocratic form of governance.
2. It is not coincidental that Pakistan's previous experiences with presidential systems have taken place under dictatorships, and the narrative around them echoes arguments in support of authoritarianism; parliaments are inefficient and captured by vested interests, therefore...
3. What is required is a government headed by 'strong' leader empowered to take decisive action without being subject to the messy coonstraints imposed by parliament. Often, this demand is accompanied by a belief that such a leader could be assisted by handpicked 'technocrats'...