Rule of Law and Democratic Development in Pakistan

Wolfson College Podcasts

Human rights lawyer and social activist Asma Jahangir gives the fourth annual Sarfraz Pakistan lecture. The lecture is introduced by Matthew McCartney. Pakistan has yet to fully comprehend that democracy cannot survive unless there are strong judicial machinisms that promote rule of law. Ironically, Pakistan's transition to democracy has invariably been disturbed by judicial intervention on the pretext of upholding rule of Law. This vicious cycle has undermined both the parliament and the courts. The erosion of a genuine democratic process has given space to the more organized civil and military bureaucracy to put on display a sham system of electoral politics while holding actual power themselves. However, each time that there is clash of interest between political forces challenging the hold of the military on civilian authority, it has pushed back military supremacy but only marginally.