Pakistan's Enduring Struggles with Democracy, Reform, Unity, and Extremism
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Pakistan has long suffered from unstable civil-military relations, with the military wielding outsized influence and power over weak civilian institutions. This has undermined democracy and governance.
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An oligarchic elite has resisted reform and domestic resource mobilization, relying instead on external borrowing and bailouts, miring Pakistan in debt and financial crises.
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Troubled center-province relations, stemming from ethnic tensions and imbalanced federalism, have repeatedly tested Pakistan's unity.
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Pakistan's security preoccupation and foreign policy aligned with external powers have skewed domestic priorities and fostered aid dependence rather than self-reliance.
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Appeasement of religious groups and mixing religion with politics, especially under Zia's Islamization, exacerbated extremism and militancy with enduring consequences.