Parliament’s Quest for Oversight on Defence in Pakistan

Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan

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Publication No: CMR-049

Rs 3,000  

Pakistan political history is marked by the expanded role of the military in non professional fields involving coups, direct and indirect military rule, increased involvement in the economic and business activities and influence-peddling from the sidelines. This state of affairs continues to cause serious strains in civil-military relations in Pakistan. Since after 2008 General Election, within the 4 Parliamentary years, there have been two specific joint sessions of the Parliament in which Pakistan Military has briefed the Parliament, first on National Security issues and later on the May 2 unilateral strike of USA into Pakistan. Have these briefings, held on October 08, 2008 and on May 13-14, 2011 helped further Parliament’s quest for oversight on defence in Pakistan? Mr. Muhammad Ziauddin, Senior Journalist, explores this question in writing this Issue Paper. In addition to the role of Parliament, Mr. Ziauddin, with his signature skill and analytic poise, looked at the entire spectrum of the nature, and attempts at, democratic oversight of defence in Pakistan during the past 4 years of the current Government.

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