The lecture was divided into two parts. The first part
focused on Pakistan’s political milestones from March
2007 onwards (when Pakistan’s military president
removed from office the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Pakistan) and the second part identified the
significance of the action within the broader context
of Pakistan’s interrupted democratic journey. These
post-March 2007 political developments were examined
for indications of a sustained middle-class pressure in
Pakistani politics, while also analyzing the interaction of
internal political developments and the external security
environment.
The lecture highlighted the points of convergence
and divergence between Pakistan’s different political
strands; their cumulative impact on the government’s
ability to govern Pakistan; and its ability to negotiate
its relations with a society with rising expectations and
increasing faultlines.
The second part outlined the strategic implications
of Pakistan’s democratic journey. Specifically, it
examined two significant questions: how Pakistan’s
internal political transformation will simultaneously be
influenced by a fluid and volatile geostrategic regional
situation; and whether there is a link between stability,
security and prosperity within the regional states and a
cooperative regional security arrangement.