We have talked a lot about the role of Pakistani elites in the ongoing crises the country is facing, but not a whole lot on the role of the international order in influencing elite choices and Pakistan’s political economy. In this episode, Uzair talks to Azeema Cheema about the global drivers of Pakistan’s prolonged crises and the ways in which international actors have encouraged autocracy in the country.

Azeema Cheema is a Founding Director at Verso Consulting, a Pakistan-based collective of practitioners, where she leads the portfolio on Conflict, Fragility and Violence. Azeema has over seventeen years of experience as a researcher with civil society organizations, governments and international organizations focusing on political economy, social cohesion, and conflict in Pakistan.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:00 Global elites and their role

15:15 War and Pakistan

24:20 Why didn’t Pakistan end up like Korea?

38:30 Current situation and scope for reform

49:46 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- Under the Gun: Political Parties and Violence in Pakistan by Nilofer Siddiqui

- The Culture of Power and Governance in Pakistan by Ilhan Niaz