Military dictatorship vs civilian rule
In a recent interview, former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf claimed that the country made progress only under military rule and civilian governments mostly "let the nation down." These of…
The military-industrial takeover
The frenzy of military spending seems to have gripped several parts of the world once again. Numerous states are preparing to pour billions — if not trillions — of dollars…
The last dictator?
BACK in 1999, in the aftermath of the coup coordinated from a cockpit, I found myself among a tiny minority of compadres and confrères who were appalled by the nature…
Deepening the Zia dictatorship
In my last article, ‘Remembering 1977’ (Aug 29), I highlighted how the year 1977 became a turning point in Pakistan’s history. Within 40 days after his military coup on July…
Military coup in Myanmar
On a cold, wintry morning of Monday, February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military proved the weeks-long rumours of an impending coup correct. In early morning raids and other steps, the…
Crisis of dictatorship: Part – I
Exactly 30 years ago, towards the end of 1990, one of the two superpowers of that time – the Soviet Union – was facing an existential crisis. Though the Soviet…
On the path to dictatorship
Dictators always need to justify the concentration of power within themselves. Josef Stalin, for example, argued that because political power belonged to the Soviet proletariat and that the Communist Party…
How likely is international military intervention in Libya?
After Iraq and Syria, will international military intervention against the Islamic State group now take place in conflict-ridden Libya as well? Western powers including the United States, Britain and France…
Civil-military imbalance
The ISPR press release after the corps commanders meeting, has generated unnecessary controversy over civil-military relations. It has surprised many, especially in the backdrop of the frequent huddles between the…
Military courts
Capital suggestion Legal: Forty-two years ago, the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan prescribed progressive separation of the judiciary from the executive. Forty-two years ago, the constitution fixed a…
