The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan [Hardcover] AQIL SHAH

Since Pakistan gained independence in 1947 | only once has an elected government completed its tenure and peacefully transferred power to another elected government. In sharp contrast to neighboring India | the Muslim nation has been ruled by its military for over three decades. Even when they were not directly in control of the government | the armed forces maintained a firm grip on national politics. How the military became Pakistan's foremost power elite and what its unchecked authority means for the future of this nuclear-armed nation are among the crucial questions Aqil Shah takes up in The Army and Democracy.Pakistan's and India's armies inherited their organization | training and doctrines from their British predecessor | along with an ethic that regarded politics as outside the military domain. But Pakistan's weak national solidarity | exacerbated by a mentality that saw war with India looming around every corner | empowered the military to take national security and ultimately government into its own hands. As the military's habit of disrupting the natural course of politics gained strength over time | it arrested the development of democratic institutions.Table of Contents:Preface Abbreviations Introduction Waging War | Building a Nation Marching toward Martial Law Revolution to Revolt Recapturing the State From Zia to Musharraf Musharraf and Military Professionalism The Military and Democracy Conclusion Notes Acknowledgments Index