RETHINKING DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN.

To talk of the failure of democracy in Pakistan is to imply that success is possible. But what would success look like? It must involve more than just the holding of elections. So is it possible for true democracy ever to be successful in Pakistan? Three factors make success unlikely, if not impossible; the grip on power exercised by the traditional feudal elite; the way in which the masses see their votes in economic rather than in political terms; the strength of the military's role in society and politics arising from Pakistan's geo-strategic position, which also influences the choices of outside actors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]