The Changing Parameters

Abstract

Long years in power have enabled the military to spread out so widely in the civilian institutions of the state and society that its presence is firmly established in all walks of life. It has carved out a role and position in the public and the private sectors, industry, business, agriculture, education and scientific development, health care, communications and transportation. Such an omnipresence ensures an important role for the military in the state and society even if the generals do not directly control the levers of power. Several factors have contributed to this. First, the military inducted its personnel in government and semi-government jobs and civilian professions. The private sector was encouraged to accommodate them. The military also contributed to improving their socio-economic conditions by distributing material rewards and facilities. Second, the military controls a vast industrial and business empire which has enabled it to amass sufficient clout in the economy and to develop a capacity for looking after the welfare of its personnel without relying on the civilian government. Third, the close links of the military personnel with the people of the Punjab and NWFP have also contributed to its political clout. This makes the study of ethnicity and recruitment pattern of the Army interesting and relevant to politics. Fourth, the civilian governments at the federal and provincial levels, overwhelmed by the problems of governance, seek the military’s support more often than was the case in the past for the performance of their basic functions which in turn adds to the relevance and importance of the military for the orderly functioning of the polity.