Prioritizing Security over Democracy: U.S. Security Assistance and Civil–Military Imbalance in Pakistan

Abstract

This paper will offer a systematic analysis of the influence of U.S. security aid on the political course of Pakistan claiming that the long-term satisfaction of the state security needs has destroyed the prospects of democracy. Throughout history and through the various geopolitical eras of the Cold War alliances and the 1980s anti-Soviet mobilization and 9/11 counterterrorism partnership, the U.S. policy has continued to accord priority to military and security needs and requirements, at the expense of democratic consolidation. This has led to the further installation of the military in the process of making political decisions within Pakistan, the weakening of civilian institutions and the further politicization of societal divisions.

The study has utilized a qualitative research design and uses semi-structured interviews with former political leaders, diplomats, military figures, and Pakistani scholars along with documentary analysis of policy records and secondary literature. The results indicate that the long-standing dependence on external security assistance has institutionalized the existence of a civil-military imbalance, limited the policy autonomy, and the range of independent initiatives in the regional and foreign policies of the country. The paper finds that the long-term democratization in Pakistan needs to be recalibrated in terms of the external engagements, decreasing the reliance on security-focused aid, and empowering civilian institutions to enhance the political sovereignty and democratic governance.