Turning Pakistan Around

Yesterday we outlined how India’s increasingly assertive geopolitical outlook has the potential to be compromised by a host of internal problems. These include a largely impoverished rural population and a number of ethnic and ideological insurgencies throughout the country. Yet despite such concerns, India continues to be regarded as part of a group of emerging powers that are increasingly shaping the dynamics of the international system.

But while India continues to forge ahead in the international system, Pakistan’s social, economic and political development remains compromised by a familiar set of problems. Like its neighbor and fiercest rival, the majority of Pakistan’s population lives in abject poverty. Yet the country’s development remains subject to weak political institutions and the overarching influence of the armed forces.

In today’s podcast, Ahmed Rashid tells our partners at the Oxford Research Group what Pakistan needs to do in order to address a number of fundamental problems. Ultimately, change will only come once Pakistan’s political-military elites change their perspectives on power.

Selected Readings

From the ISN's resources on Pakistan, we recommend the following publications:

• Pakistan: The Status Quo Prevails, or Time for Something Completely Different? Part One – The Economy and Governance Part Two – Radicalism, Militancy and the Civil-Military Divide

• Who Controls Pakistan's Security Forces?

• Pakistan and Patrons: The United States, PR China and Saudi Arabia

• Nontraditional Security Threats in Pakistan

• Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Fixing the US Approach to Development in Pakistan