The Pakistan Garrison State: Origins, Evolution, Consequences

by Ishtiaq Ahmed

This study seeks to solve the following puzzle: In 1947, the Pakistan military was poorly trained and poorly armed. It also inherited highly vulnerable territory vis-a-vis the much bigger India, aggravated because of serious disputes with Afghanistan. Defence and Security were therefore issues that no Pakistan government, civil or military, could ignore. The military did not take part in politics directly until 1958, although it was called upon to restore order in 1953 in the Punjab province. Over the years, the military, or rather the Pakistan Army, continued to grow in power and influence and progressively became the most powerful institution. Moreover, it became an institution with de facto veto powers at its disposal to overrule other actors within society, including elected governments. Simultaneously, it began to acquire foreign patrons and donors willing to arm it as part of the Cold War competition (the United States), regional balance-of-power concerns (China) and ideological contestants for leadership over the Muslim world (Saudi Arabia, to contain Iranian influence). A perennial concern with defining the Islamic identity of Pakistan exacerbated by the Afghan jihad, resulted in the convergence of internal and external factors to produce the 'fortress of Islam' self-description that became current in the early twenty-first century. Over time, Pakistan succumbed to extremism and terrorism within and was accused of being involved in similar activities within the South Asian region and beyond. Such developments have been ruinous to Pakistan's economic and democratic development. The following questions are posed to shed further light:
What is the relationship between the internal and external factors in explaining the rise of the military as the most powerful institution in Pakistan?
What have been the consequences of such politics for the political and economic development in Pakistan?
What are the future prospects for Pakistan?
A conceptual and theoretical framework combining the notion of a post-colonial state and Harald Lasswell's concept of a garrison state is propounded to analyse the evolution of Pakistan as a fortress of Islam.

Genres: Pakistan, History, Nonfiction, Politics

508 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2013

About the author

Ishtiaq Ahmed is a Swedish political scientist and author of Pakistani descent. He is Visiting Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University.

Reviews

[Ali Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seeks to solve the following puzzle:

In 1947, the Pakistan military was poorly armed and lacked the infrastructure and training needed to function as an effective branch of the state. It was not directly involved in politics. Over time, not only has it become a middle-range power possessing nuclear weapons, but it has also become the most powerful institution in the country with de facto veto powers over politics.

How and why did this happen and what were its consequences?

The clues are to be found in a unique mix of real and imagined existentialist threats to Pakistan, and the nature of international politics in which the emerging bipolar rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Unions was exploited by the Pakistani rules - civil and military - to market Pakistan as a frontline state against the latter in the hope that the former would supply them with the weapons needed to offset the advantage India enjoyed over it in terms of size, resources, and other such factors.

Internally, incompetent politicians and their functionalism generated conflict and instability while the civil servants, and later the military, came to represent the stability.

Additionally, a lack of clarity on national identity drove Pakistan towards a search for an Islamic Identity that should also be democratic. However, over time, this acquired more and more dogmatics features and fundamentalist overtones.

The convergence of such external and internal factors created the metaphor of Pakistan being a fortress of Islam.

And for meeting those imagined threats, it has to be militarily strong. Furthermore, the absence of competitive political leadership, and the presence of the bureaucratic mindset and military privileges make the governance structure of the country more worst. These all factors played role in making Pakistan a garrison state more and a secular democratic country, as it was imagined by its founder, less.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is an excellent introduction to the history of Pakistan. The author has proved Pakistan as a Garrison state, but many other countries have successfully transited to an industrial model starting from garrison state to industrially developed states like Ukraine and South Korean. Pakistan under Ayub had a golden opportunity to develop but was not able to capitalize due to rapid urbanization of the population coupled with the 1965 misadventure. A detailed analysis of the Ayub era would make interesting reading. The second opportunity for developed was under the left government of Bhutto. Unfortunately, Bhutto started military operations in Baluchistan which gave confidence to a shattered army after their 1971 loss against India. Unfortunately, all the others military and political leaders since Ayub and Bhutto have not been of the same caliber.
The latest guardian of the Pakistan state is China which unfortunately isn't covered in this book. Pakistan has had a lot of experience dealing with USA, so hopefully, this experience would help in its dealing with the new guardian.

[Mansoor Azam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seldom has a book promised so much in the initial chapter yet ended up disappointing so much, not to mention the time wasted.

Divided into 18 chapters, this 470 odd pages , Oxford University Press published book, is a result of research of Pakistani born Swedish national Political Science Professor Emeritus of Stockholm University.

The first chapter where the author defines a garrison state is breathtaking. He cements the case quoting relative theories in support of his hypothesis and admittingly is gripping. Makes one anticipate the unfolding in the next chapters. But here it ends.

What starts after first chapter is a history of Pakistan lesson some relevant some not turning into a monologue. and it continues till last chapter where author hurriedly makes his conclusion and analysis, both not in league of the class he promises in the first chapter.

My take; if one wants to study in length the history of Pakistan, its politics and civil military relationships there are far more gripping reads than this one. it seems the author wrote the first and last chapters and to turn it into a book filled in the 16 chapters ofhistory (richly quoting from preferred sources)

Two stars (only) for the first chapter. which can be a basis for a great work. Regretfully, that just doesn't happen in this read.

[Zaryab Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an excellent introduction to the history of Pakistan. The author has proved Pakistan as a Garrison state, but many other countries have successfully transited to an industrial model starting from garrison state to industrially developed states like Ukraine and South Korea. Pakistan under Ayub had a golden opportunity to develop but was not able to capitalize due to the rapid urbanization of the population coupled with the 1965 misadventure. A detailed analysis of the Ayub era would make interesting reading. The second opportunity for developed was under the left government of Bhutto. Unfortunately, Bhutto started military operations in Baluchistan which gave confidence to a shattered army after their 1971 loss against India. Unfortunately, all the other military and political leaders since Ayub and Bhutto have not been of the same caliber.
The latest guardian of the Pakistan state is China which unfortunately isn't covered in this book. Pakistan has had a lot of experience dealing with the USA, so hopefully, this experience would help in its dealing with the new guardian

[Muhammad Jabran · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my view, this is the best book I have ever read on Pakistan's political history. It will provide a basic framework to comprehend the very nature of the Pakistani state along with its power politics. No doubt these are the hard facts that are not easy to digest but we must study them in order to learn what to do what mistakes should avoid.

I must recommend this book to all the students of political science and here are my conclusions:

1. Pakistan is a garrison state which emerged out of fear and threat from India and Afghanistan. Therefore, it was obvious that the army would take lead and become the savior of the country from any external threat.

2. The failure of democracy in Pakistan was because of the poor performances by democratic leaders with no vision to evolve it to the grass-roots level. This is the reason the army filled the space.

3. Pakistan is governed by triple-A, which means Allah America and Army.

4. Pakistan’s policies are always directed towards India or on Anti-Indian sentiment. Why? The reason is simple Pakistan is historically a weak country in terms of economics and its defense. It always feels threatened or insecure by India. Therefore, there was a historic need for a strong army that protects itself from any outside invasion. In 1971, India practically invaded East Pakistan which added insult to the injury.

5. Kashmir is the vital bone of contention throughout the history of Pakistan. We fought almost all major wars against India on Kashmir.

6. Pakistan is the strategic ally of America in the region. We have had a love-hate relationship since day one. America has aided our military and economy several times. We fought a war against communism together, and we have created freedom fighters in Afghanistan. Moreover, we fought a war against terrorism for two decades against the same militants which we have created during the war against communism.

7. Islam was used as a tool of propaganda in order to motivate the Muslims of Pakistan since day one.

[Athar Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, but it's not very different then any other book on Pakistan affairs

[haris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I finished this book, and once again I'm confused. About Pakistan, its past and its future.

[Kamran Qureshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book. most of the facts in book is supported by pervasive evidence. page turner💕

[Abdul Monum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes and I have started seeing my country in a complete different way