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…
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…
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…
Facts and myths about military insubordination
It was the same army split into two which fell to the share of India and Pakistan. When they became separate forces their ethos, structure, training programmes, down to mess…
Brazil 2014 to be run by ally of former dictatorship
Next year's World Cup in Brazil is in the hands of an octogenarian politician of fiery temperament closely tied to the former military dictatorship. Jose Maria Marin, 82, assumed control…
The 26th Amendment in judicial focus: Part – I
There are multiple ways to look at the 26th Constitutional Amendment that Pakistan’s parliament passed on Oct 21, 2024. Since the passage of the 25th Amendment in May 2018, there…
