Social Movements in Pakistan During Authoritarian Regimes
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University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School March 2021 Struggling Against the Odds: Social Movements in Pakistan During Authoritarian Regimes Sajjad Hussain University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the International Relations Commons Scholar Commons Citation Hussain, Sajjad, "Struggling Against the Odds: Social Movements in Pakistan During Authoritarian Regimes" (2021). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/8795 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Struggling Against the Odds: Social Movements in Pakistan During Authoritarian Regimes by Sajjad Hussain A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Government School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies College of Arts and Science University of South Florida Co-Major Professor Bernd Reiter, Ph.D. Co-Major Professor Peter Funke, Ph.D. Rachel May, Ph.D. Earl Conteh-Morgan Date of Approval: March 31, 2021 Keywords: Contentious Politics, Democracy, South Asia, Civil Society Copyright © 2021, Sajjad Hussain Acknowledgements: Alhamdulillah. With an immeasurable sense of gratitude, I want to acknowledge the support of so many people who motivated and inspired me to complete my dissertation. They made this journey rewarding. I’d first like to thank my advisor, Professor Bernd Reiter whose mentorship has been an influential source in shaping my research work. His scholarly encouragement and support throughout these years have been invaluable. Thank you. I am also grateful to Dr. Peter Funke for his invariably helpful feedback. His comments made my work better. My thanks go to Dr. Rachel May as well. Not only was she generous with her feedback, but she was also an inspirational teacher. My gratitude to Professor Conteh-Morgan for helping me sharpen my arguments with his feedback. The manuscript has benefited from it. I would also like to add that I have learnt so, so much from all of you. Your dedication as teachers adds to my appreciation and love of teaching. My circle of friends: You made this whole experience wonderful. Thank you. Last but not least, my family. My late father: my baba. I miss him so much. Blessed be his soul. My mother. My siblings. In whatever I have accomplished in life, it is them who have made it possible and meaningful. Being away from them for so long has not been easy. It can never be. I miss them. Their grace, generosity and love fill me with awe, and keep me anchored. Long may all of them live, blissfully. Ameen. Table of Contents List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... v Introduction: ................................................................................................................................... 1 Research Question: .............................................................................................................. 7 Scope of the Study and limitations: .................................................................................... 8 Design and Method: ............................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 1 Literature Review: Surveying the Social Movements Literature................................ 10 Introduction: ...................................................................................................................... 10 Contending with the Definition: How is Social Movement Conceptualized: ................... 11 Regimes and the Movements: ........................................................................................... 12 Social Movements and Pakistan: ...................................................................................... 18 Conclusion: ....................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 2: A Decade of Struggle against the Military Dictatorship: Students Movement of 1960s .................................................................................................................................. 23 Introduction: ...................................................................................................................... 23 Constitutionalism and Dictatorship: .................................................................................. 24 General Ayub and authoritarianism: Cooption and repression: ........................................ 27 Curbing of the Press: ......................................................................................................... 28 One Unit System and the Protests: .................................................................................... 29 Elections, Protest and War in 1965: .................................................................................. 33 Student Movement and its Success: .................................................................................. 36 Conclusion: ....................................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 3: Movement for Restoration of Democracy (1981-84) ................................................. 44 Introduction: ...................................................................................................................... 44 i Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto: A sketch from 1967 to 1977: ........................................................... 45 Popularity and Opposition: ............................................................................................... 49 Martial Law and Movement for Restoration of Democracy: ............................................ 52 MRD and its second wave of protests—1983: .................................................................. 56 Conclusion: ....................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 4: 2007 Lawyers Movement ........................................................................................... 62 Introduction: ...................................................................................................................... 62 Military Coup and Regime Consolidation: ....................................................................... 63 Judicial Activism:.............................................................................................................. 68 The Movement and the Regime’s Response: .................................................................... 72 State of Emergency, new elections and the continuation of Lawyers Movement: ........... 75 Political Assassination and Its Impact: ............................................................................. 78 New Elections, New Civilian Government and the Movement: ....................................... 79 Conclusion: ....................................................................................................................... 82 Findings and Future Research: ..................................................................................................... 86 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 91 ii List of Acronyms ML Muslim League CA Constituent Assembly NAP National Awami Party NWFP North-West Frontier Province LFO Legal Framework Order PPP Pakistan People’s Party ZAB Zulfikar Ali Bhutto MP MOP Member of Parliament MNA Member of National Assembly MPA Member of Provincial Assembly BB Benazir Bhutto PMLN Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MRD Movement for Restoration of Democracy PCO Provisional Constitutional Order NAB National Accountability Bureau ARD Alliance for Restoration of Democracy CJ Chief Justice SJC Supreme Judicial Council iii PML-Q Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e Azam iv Abstract This dissertation extends scholarship on the role of social movements against authoritarian regimes. It argues that movements turn into popular mobilizations and achieve successful outcomes when they occur in the consolidated phases of authoritarian regimes. Using the political opportunity structure framework, the dissertation maintains that a regime’s stability instils confidence in it to substitute coercion with incentives wherein it allows limited but strictly regulated freedoms for oppositional politics. This creates new openings for the challengers, enabling mobilization with an increase in size and scope. Unlike the initial phase, when the regime is consolidating and repressing collective action in a ruthless manner, the consolidated phase is a period in which the movements make the most of opportunities available that lead to their success. The dissertation explores it empirically by discussing three social movements against authoritarian regimes in Pakistan that took place in different moments of the country’s history: Student Movement, Movement for Restoration of Democracy, and Lawyers Movement. v Introduction: Pakistan