Pakistan: The Search For Stability – Book Review

Pakistan is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources, human capital, and its strategic location. Despite this, the country is facing numerous challenges, including traditional and non-traditional security; However, Pakistan has the potential to overcome these challenges with strong leadership and concrete policies. In this context, 

An edited book by Maleeha Lodhi titled Pakistan: The Search for Stability, highlights Pakistan’s traditional and non-traditional security issues and also provides policy recommendations to policymakers.  It comprises sixteen chapters and is divided into four parts which include: (i) Political system dimensions; (ii) Economic stability; (iii) Social structure; and (iv) Pakistan’s foreign policy. 

Part I, Political System, focuses on the constitution, governance, parliamentary politics and democracy in Pakistan. Dr. Lodhi identifies six major areas including economic revival, consensual democracy, education, institutional reform, population control and improved civil-military relations. She argues for consensus among all political actors for governance progress for instance, strong leadership has vision and dedication to change, prioritizing governance in the service to the people rather than self-interest. The author Ahmed Bilal Mehboob emphasizes that improvement in the parliamentary system requires legislators to improve their performance strengthening the system. Author also shows concern regarding disengaged youth in participating electoral system as he showed data last eight elections (1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2018) where youth constituting 29 per cent of total registered voters and being the second-largest age group but consistently low turnout of young voters. He emphasizes, “According to the Election Commission of Pakistan statistics underscore the need for increased research and practical initiatives to engage youth in the electoral process” (p.101).

In addition, authors explore that to strengthen the parliamentary system, the power and autonomy of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must be enhanced and elections must be held on time. Regarding political parties, authors have argued that government must adopt long-term goals and concrete plans for their tenures instead of focusing solely on power for the sake of good governance, it is imperative to empower local governments as well. The author opines, “Local governments, crucial for grassroots democracy and nurturing political leadership, require a constitutional provision outlining minimum standards, structure, powers, and election timeframes to ensure regular elections and sufficient authority” (p. 125). Lastly, this part provides a way forward for all state actors to establish a stable political system. To strengthen parliament, empower democratic values for stance, rule of law, uphold constitution, strong judiciary, and accountability and have strong opposition.

Part II, deals with the economy. In this part author discusses major economic issues such as the current account deficit, fiscal deficit and mounting debt. It also provides recommendations for policymakers to improve the situation. Authors stressing that Pakistan’s economy can be integrated into the global economy. According to Salman Shah, a prominent economic expert, he emphasizes fiscal discipline, export competitiveness and market determination. He notes that East Asian countries adopted similar policies and eventually became known as the “East Asian Miracle.” He mentioned, “In recent history, we have witnessed many countries perform this type of miraculous transformation, going from the ‘worst to the best’ in a matter of a single generation. ‘Role-Models’ exist all over East Asia and elsewhere to emulate” (p.155). Further, the author Ishrat Hussin suggest way forwards he states that to accelerate and sustain growth at a rate of 6-8 per cent annually then Pakistani policymakers must enhance productivity in both industry and agriculture participate in international trade, and attract foreign direct investment (p.182).

Part III, Deals with non-traditional security issues such as societal and political developments, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. This section highlights the role of youth, the importance of education, unemployment, women’s rights and the growing population. Tariq Banuri discusses the value of education, noting that approximately one-tenth of the population, comprising 22.8 million children aged 5 to 16 are not enrolled in school and a significant portion may never have the opportunity to gain an education (p. 255). Similarly, educational experts provide policy guidelines that include:  ensuring the autonomy of educational institutions, adequate funding, infrastructure development, accountability, academic freedom, research and access to technology. Regarding population, the authors were of the view; Pakistan’s 60 million youth present an opportunity that must be harnessed effectively. In this part the authors have also highlighted that the water crisis, agricultural decline, biodiversity loss and natural disasters. According to Jamil Ahmed an expert on environmental science has talked about Pakistan’s environment issues such as land degradation, deforestation, water scarcity, and air and water pollution, all of which contribute to a state of environmental emergency. This crisis is adversely affecting the country’s socio-economic development, leading to reduced crop yields, food insecurity, malnutrition, unemployment, and health issues (p. 281)

Part IV, Pakistan’s Foreign Policy, discusses Pakistan’s relations with the US, China, India and Afghanistan. Regarding Pakistan-India relations, experts have analysed the historical background and current Modi-led Hindutva policy. The authors have also criticized the Indian aggressive policies in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Indian domestic policy against minorities. Riaz Mohammad Khan highlights Pakistan-China relations, noting their stability, mutual interests and non-interference. He has underlined  that for over six decades, Pakistan-China relations have remained stable, marked by enduring political strength, mutual interests and a commitment to avoid interfering in each other’s internal affairs (p. 345).The section on Pakistan-US relations raises concerns about the absence of strong mutual interests, which has resulted in short-term ties. For long-term stability, the book suggests fostering economic, environmental, cultural and people-to-people connections. Regarding Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, authors have discussed the disturbing relationship between both countries. Further, rise of Taliban, war on terror, role of US and Pakistan in Afghanistan highlighted. Moreover, in this part authors also shed the light on the return of Taliban regime (2021) and its current relationship with Pakistan evaluated.

This book discusses Pakistan’s core issues by presenting historical analysis. It also shed light on Pakistan’s contemporary issues and suggested policy recommendations. Dr. Lodhi uses the term “poly-crisis” to describe the challenges in governance, economy, politics, security and demographics, which together pose significant threats to the country’s stability. Despite these challenges, the authors are optimistic about Pakistan’s future, offering policy recommendations to address these issues. This book is a valuable addition for those interested in political systems and governance. It is highly recommended for policymakers as well as scholars of political science and international relations.