Pakistan’s ‘Sustainable Democracy’: Army as the Political Architect

Any study of political developments in Pakistan cannot be complete without examining the role of the Army. Though it might seem incompatible to talk of military and democracy in the same breadth, Pakistan provides an example of how the military has been able to govern the country as successfully as a civilian government. It has its own view of democracy, political stability and governance. It feels it has a political role which stems from the national security paradigm of the state. Recent amendments to the Pakistan Constitution under the rubric of ‘sustainable democracy’ is a reflection of the Army’s expanding area from military security to economy and governance. This article is an attempt to analyse the Army’s role and the future of democracy in the context of the 17th Amendment.