Understanding the Root Causes of the Political Instability in the Developing Democracies: A Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract

This study mainly aimed to explore the structural bases of the state and society of Pakistan i.e. for finding out the basic roots of the political instability in Pakistan. This research has followed the case study research methods, and for the purpose of achieving the main objectives of this study, this research has employed the Dessler’s (1989) ‘structural-functional” model and the Historico-dialectical approach of Ejiogu (2001). The results of the study indicated that the basic roots of the political instability in Pakistan lied in the state structure, and which have been resulted through the problems in the respective ‘state construction’, ‘state entrenchment’, and the ‘state transformation’ processes of the state i.e. Pakistan. The study concluded that the major roots of the political instability mainly lied in the policies of the federal government i.e. pertaining to the issues of national integration, national ideology, supremacy of constitution, rule of law, the flawed political culture, and camouflaged colonial state structure which has failed to comply with the political aspirations of the general public. The study recommended that for uprooting the root causes of the persistent political instability Pakistan, the national political leadership shall have to change their own mindset first, and later, they have to devise a serious plan/strategy to bring the pre-requisite changes in the constitution and state structure i.e. for infusing a sense of acceptability and belongingness among the general public, and the major political groups living in Pakistan.