“Democratic Governance in Pakistan (2008–2023): Structural Challenges and Global Pressures”

Abstract

This research primarily aims at examining the issues the Pakistani democracy faces and how the international events impacted the democratic process in the country. The study is important because there is little academic literature on this topic that has explored this topic through the analytical approach that the current research study uses. The research, based on a descriptive and analytical paradigm is aimed at defining and critically discussing the key predicaments of democracy in Pakistan, as well as the dynamism of global matters that influence its political landscape. Despite the fact that Pakistan was founded as an Islamic Republic, the state has been fighting to build a stable democratic government as sectarian diversity keeps growing with the continuing external pressure. The theoretical perspective of neoliberalism in international relations is applied in this study in order to deepen the analytical value of the research and comprehend the interplay between the political organization of the domestic country and the global forces in a more profound manner. Based on the international relations theories, the study brings out internal and external issues to democracy in Pakistan. Internal ones are political instability, political interference in the political arena, and institutional weaknesses, whereas the external factors have to do with global governance norms, international standards, and regional stability issues. Another critical aspect that is looked at in the study is how the economic factors such as trade and foreign investment have influenced the development of democracy in Pakistan. More so, the study assesses the extended implications of the democratic issues faced by Pakistan in the region and international security, more so in terms of terrorism, geopolitical rivalry and great power rivalry. The paper is of interest to policy makers, researchers and scholars concerned with democratic development and governance in Pakistan and the paper attempts to offer analytical information, which could be used to formulate policies and in future studies.