S/P/85. Why has democracy continued to be weak in Pakistan?

This paper discusses the reasons behind the weakness of democracy in Pakistan, and why such fragility has been perpetuated. It attributes the problems to a combination of factors, suggesting that those most relevant are the nature of the forces for democracy and how these forces have compromised by other power bases in the system. The army, the bureaucracy, international pressures and individual political ambition have all proved to be destabilising agents. The failure of political parties to entrench democracy and the unhealthy patrimonial political culture are also discussed.