Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan: Quest for Power and the Role of National Security Council

Abstract

The military has always played a dominant role in Pakistan for the last seventy years or so. From an administrative and political point of view, Pakistan has inherited a highly imbalanced institutional development. It was working with strong and organized civil and military bureaucracies and disorganized political parties led by self-seeker politicians. The main reason for this institutional imbalance was factional-ridden politics which weakened the political rule in Pakistan. The civilian control of the military is managed in Pakistan if the ruling political group is ready in sharing power and responsibility with the military elites. Since Pakistan is a developing country and the military cannot be an exit from the decision-making process. The sharing of power on particular subjects can take the military away from any direct intervention. The sharing of power and responsibilities can be managed with the application of the convergence theory of Morris Janowitz and the National Security Council is an ideal forum for the interconnectedness of the two main pillars: the civilian and military elites.