The Interplay between Political Stability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan: An Assessment

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the fact that how political stability is directly interlinked with the future of sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in Pakistan. Pakistan is a country which is facing multiple issues like corruption, poor governance and week institutions which are the significant challenges in achieving SDG’s by 2030. Political instability in Pakistan is a serious issue and a key barrier in the progress of important aspects like education, poverty alleviation, climate change and healthcare problems. The study adopt a qualitative research methodology by using both primary and secondary data sources of data. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 33 key stakeholders from three sectors: officials from the Ministry of Planning and Development, representatives from Commerce and Trade and legal experts affiliated with bar councils. The collected data was analyzed through content and thematic analysis techniques to extract required answer of research questions and data are assessed the coherence of institutional narratives around SDG implementation. Strengthening democratic institutions, reducing political polarization, stability in economic sector, balance in civil-military relations and combating corruption to improve governance will be the possible solutions to ensure political stability in Pakistan to achieve SDG’s till 2030.