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Has Pakistan’s Democracy Turned a Corner?

Thu. January 12th, 2017
Washington, DC

Pakistan’s 2013 general election marked the country’s first civilian transfer of power following the completion of an elected government’s full term. However, questions linger over the country’s democratic durability as next year’s election will occur against a challenging backdrop. Extremist violence, civil-military tensions, low-intensity conflict with India, and a fragile economy are all cause for concern.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, one of Pakistan’s leading analysts of political, legislative, and electoral affairs, discussed how these challenges affect the prospects for a second peaceful transition to power. He also shared key insights into the current state of democracy and governance in Pakistan. Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav moderated.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob is the president and founder of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT).

Milan Vaishnav

Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow in the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his primary research focus is the political economy of India.

DemocracyEconomySecurityForeign PolicySouth AsiaPakistan
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Milan Vaishnav

Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program

Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program and the host of the Grand Tamasha podcast at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, distributive politics, and electoral behavior. He also conducts research on the Indian diaspora.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob