Pakistan's Existential Threat [pdf], Atlantic Council, 11 January 2010
EXCERPT: "In Pakistan, it would be a disservice to look at this current conflict solely as an Afghanistan issue because Pakistan too faces the same wars within. There is a continuous battle between what the government of Pakistan wants, irrespective of its complexion, and what the people of Pakistan want. Our history clearly indicates that whenever we have experienced long periods of autocratic rule, particularly military rule, the result is a stunting of all democratic systems and institutions of civil society. It is equally critical that we factor in the economic crisis affecting Pakistan today. In a highly urbanized society where the poorest strata spend up to two-thirds of their income on food, an inflation rate in the double digits constitutes a near insurmountable challenge for the government. In addition, the country is facing power, water, and even sugar shortages, as oligopolist cartels ensconced in government and in parliament maintain their hold on scarce resources at the expense of the common person."
Read the full report [pdf].
Related articles:
Power outages trigger public-police clash, The Nation [Pakistan], 13 January 2010
US to provide $16.5 million to upgrade Pakistan's power, China View, 13 January 2010
Zardari's perception of democracy, DAWN, 10 January 2010
Related posts:
Amnesty upheaval leading to "slow-burning disarray"?, 22 December 2009
Energy shortfall greater concern than Taliban, 18 December 2009
At the precipice: Is Pakistan about to fail?, 10 December 2009
