Civil Military Relations

in Pakistan after 2008

Fahad Rasheed
 What is CMR?
• It describes the relationship between the civil authority and military authority
established to protect it.
• It is to find a balance between civilian and military issues of common
ground.
 Research Question
• Why military intervenes in the politics of Pakistan again and again?
 Hypothesis

• If Establishment of Pakistan helped civilian government in strengthening

the democratic norms and avoid overstepping boundaries, then civil-military
relations could be better.
Historical Background of CMR in Pakistan
• Pakistan came into existence with serious internal and external problems
• Regional insecurity, colonial mindset, bad governance, social disorder.
• Military, one of well-organized and inherently disciplined institutions.
• Liaquat Ali Khan assassinated in Oct, 1951.
• Military stages a coup in 1958, eleven years after the separation.
 Contd..
• Ayub’s Constitution: Civil military relations were shaped in a way that power
was extremely tilted towards the military authority.
• Bhutto: he sought civilian control in state affairs after 1971 defeat by India
when military used to call the shots.
• Civilian constitution under Bhutto in 1973.
 Contd..
• General Ziaul Haq seizes power in 1977 again amid political turmoil.
• Ex prime-minister hanged by law in a sham trial by military.
• Soon after Zia seizes power, Pakistan gets sucked into Afghan war 1979-1989.
• Zia held more and safe place in decision making process for the military
establishment when it instituted Eighth Amendment to the 1973 constitution
• General Zia was then finished with mysterious plane crash in 1988.
• The years from 1988 to 1999 illustrates complex power sharing between civil and
military. 1999 being the initiation of another coup which lasted till 2008.
 Causes of Military Interventions
• Civilian rule in Pakistan has been very short lived every single time and the military had
to intervene and takeover the control due to historical, socio-political and economic reasons
than any inherent dislike of democracy in general.

Muhammad Hassan, “Causes of Military Intervention in Pakistan: A Revisionist

Discourse”
 Causes
• Insecurity
• Interference of the Heads of State
• Weak Leadership and Governance
• Weak Institutions
• Foreign Influence
• Military commercial Interests
• Absence of Independent Election Commission
 Civil-Military Relations after 2008
• After the 2008 elections, again a democratic setup came.
• The political parties (PPP, PMLN and ANP) shared positive consensus towards the
military.
• Gen Asfaq Pervaiz Kayani was the man behind the good relations between civil and
military.
• Supported civil government in spite of having the power to over come the
government again.
• Now Gen Raheel Shareef is carrying the same policies of former COAS.
 Conclusion
• Establishment of Pakistan should have to behave maturely and by maturity I
mean that the Establishment have to play a role in improving the ties
between the civil government and the military by diplomatic table talks.
• Institutions of Pakistan have to be strong enough so that they can work
properly.
• Good governance and strong political structure have to be build.
• The intellectuals have to take part in political matters and they have to guide
the leadership in the right way.
 Recommendations
• Strong and complete democratic setup.
• Military should play its own role and should support civil government
without intervening.
• Strong institutions.
• Independent election commission.