Civil society engagement in democratic transition in Pakistan

Democracy in Pakistan has not been a linear process. The socio-political history of the nation has been punctuated by military rule and the ebb and flow of civil society agitation, largely in response to such martial leadership. Therefore, it is useful to discuss very briefly the political history of Pakistan, as each regime provides context for the forms of civil society that arose. Subsequent to this examination, student activism, lawyers’ movement and media as dominant forms of civil society engagement with the state and advocacy for democracy will be discussed in particular. Student activism is the locus of Pakistan’s historical narrative of independence and emblematic of the struggles of civil society writ large.

Related Subject(s): Democracy and Governance

Countries: Pakistan