Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo?
The latest – and possibly the last – period of military rule in Pakistan ended in 2008, when elections were held under the thendictator General Pervez Musharraf. The voting sprouted a coalition government headed by the Pakistan Peoples Party that ruled (or rather riled) the country for five...
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International Institute of Islamic Thought
2013
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oai:doaj.org-article:5bfe056d6c1b4f6998cfad3705e17f112021-12-02T18:18:42ZDid Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo?10.35632/ajis.v30i3.11102690-37332690-3741https://doaj.org/article/5bfe056d6c1b4f6998cfad3705e17f112013-07-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/1110https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3733https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3741The latest – and possibly the last – period of military rule in Pakistan ended in 2008, when elections were held under the thendictator General Pervez Musharraf. The voting sprouted a coalition government headed by the Pakistan Peoples Party that ruled (or rather riled) the country for five excruciating years. The ever-erring ruling group included the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz, one of the many breakaway wings of the country’s founding political movement. The country has suffered ever since the Soviets invaded neighboring Afghanistan, leading the United States and its allies to fund the “mujahideen,” the tribal-based loosely organized Muslim fighters from all over the world. After 9/11, President George W. Bush’s attack on Afghanistan and hot pursuit of targets inside Pakistan, not to mention the military dictator Musharraf’s wholesale willingness to support the United States in all of its decisions, has led to high levels of violence and instability. The Pakistani political establishment has little to show for its efforts. However, another development took root seventeen years ago. Imran Khan, the internationally respected and loved sports heroturned- philanthropist, realizing that acts of kindness alone would not heal the country’s malaise, launched his own political party in a quest for justice and equality in a society firmly controlled by the feudal landed class created by the British to rule the Subcontinent. After ignoring him for some fifteen years, despite his many sacrifices, the nation finally heard him. But while his popularity boomed in 2011, his attempt to empower the masses by bringing in “fresh blood,” namely, young educated people, women, and even the poor into the assemblies failed. The voters were, as many Pakistanis believe, deprived of their choice, and thus the same exploitative feudal class was returned to power. Khan has not fared too well, but at least he has planted the seeds of inclusive participation. Whether he can sustain it, however, remains to be seen. Omer Bin AbdullahInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtarticleIslamBP1-253ENAmerican Journal of Islam and Society, Vol 30, Iss 3 (2013) |
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DOAJ |
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EN |
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Islam BP1-253 |
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Islam BP1-253 Omer Bin Abdullah Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
| description |
The latest – and possibly the last – period of military rule in Pakistan
ended in 2008, when elections were held under the thendictator
General Pervez Musharraf. The voting sprouted a
coalition government headed by the Pakistan Peoples Party that
ruled (or rather riled) the country for five excruciating years. The
ever-erring ruling group included the Pakistan Muslim League-
Nawaz, one of the many breakaway wings of the country’s
founding political movement.
The country has suffered ever since the Soviets invaded neighboring
Afghanistan, leading the United States and its allies to fund
the “mujahideen,” the tribal-based loosely organized Muslim
fighters from all over the world. After 9/11, President George W.
Bush’s attack on Afghanistan and hot pursuit of targets inside Pakistan,
not to mention the military dictator Musharraf’s wholesale
willingness to support the United States in all of its decisions, has
led to high levels of violence and instability.
The Pakistani political establishment has little to show for its efforts.
However, another development took root seventeen years ago.
Imran Khan, the internationally respected and loved sports heroturned-
philanthropist, realizing that acts of kindness alone would
not heal the country’s malaise, launched his own political party in
a quest for justice and equality in a society firmly controlled by the
feudal landed class created by the British to rule the Subcontinent.
After ignoring him for some fifteen years, despite his many sacrifices,
the nation finally heard him. But while his popularity boomed
in 2011, his attempt to empower the masses by bringing in “fresh
blood,” namely, young educated people, women, and even the poor
into the assemblies failed. The voters were, as many Pakistanis believe,
deprived of their choice, and thus the same exploitative feudal
class was returned to power. Khan has not fared too well, but at
least he has planted the seeds of inclusive participation. Whether
he can sustain it, however, remains to be seen.
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| format |
article |
| author |
Omer Bin Abdullah |
| author_facet |
Omer Bin Abdullah |
| author_sort |
Omer Bin Abdullah |
| title |
Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
| title_short |
Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
| title_full |
Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
| title_fullStr |
Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
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Did Pakistanis Vote for the Status Quo? |
| title_sort |
did pakistanis vote for the status quo? |
| publisher |
International Institute of Islamic Thought |
| publishDate |
2013 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/5bfe056d6c1b4f6998cfad3705e17f11 |
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