New Threats and Challenges to Federalism: In Pakistan (A Socio-Political Scenario)

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the 28 democratic countries across the world practicing federalism. It has the chequered constitutional history. The unconstitutional steps by the political heads resulted in instability in political system causing the state a great loss nationally and internationally. Over centralization has resulted in largest province seceding from the federation. Though other provinces were rejuvenated, conversely they were deprived of their cultural, economic, and political rights, resulting polarization between federation and provinces. Thus this paper will examine the history of Pakistan’s experiments with system of state governance and will argue, why Pakistan has failed to establish an effective federal covenant between its constitutional units? The main challenges that have led Pakistan to what may be called a “failed state” includes firstly; inequality and insecurity. The federal structure of Pakistan is severely threatened by provincial independence movements fueled by ethnic tensions, fiscal/economic exploitation & feudalism. Secondly; linguistic movements, lawlessness, cross borders conflicts, military dictatorships, invasion of international groups and superpowers on state’s sovereignty played a vital role in deconstructing federalism. Social legitimacy of corruption, intolerance, & unequal benefits of citizenship also served as an instrument of marginalization. Thus Federalism based on realistic provincial and local autonomy must be vital component of reconstruction of State’s institutions in order to combat social and political fractures.