The Destruction of Democracy in Pakistan and Emergence of a ‘Client State’ (1953-54)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the destruction of democracy and consolidation of an authoritarian state in the context of Cold War. Pakistan’s emergence as a ‘Client State’ of the United States in the early period of Cold War and consolidation of authoritarian structures are interrelated developments, which are examined in this paper. In the period between April 1953 and October 1954, Pakistan leaving her policy of non-alignment took the shape of a ‘client state’ of the U.S. This process began with the unconstitutional dismissal of the Prime Minister Nazimuddin in April 1953 and concluded in dissolution of the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in October 1954, finally leading towards the first “Martial Law’ government in 1958 and setting a trend for intervention of army in political domain at the cost of collapse of democracy. In this course, the defense establishment emerged as the most powerful institution of the state overshadowing the democratic institutions. The interplay of domestic and international actors in demolishing democratic institutions is the most intriguing chapter of Pakistan’s history which resulted in loss of half of the country and is being repeated at regular intervals posing a permanent threat to the identity of the state.