Democratic transition and civil military relations in Pakistan : a constructivist account of military’s political legitimacy : a thesis submitted to the Massey University for the degree of PhD in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. EMBARGOED to 21 January 2028.

Abstract

Situated within a constructivist paradigm, this thesis challenges traditional conceptualisations of civil-military relations and the military’s dominant role in the politics of transitioning democracies, particularly in Pakistan. General Musharraf’s precipitous fall from political power and democratic transition in 2008 signaled the falling popularity and legitimacy of the military institution itself, and the subsequent dissipation of the military’s political authority in Pakistan. However, post-2008 politics in Pakistan has been characterised by consistent discursive contestation between the military and civilian institutions. The military’s struggle to order civil- military relations in which the military continues to dominate is captured in the military publications of the day. These publications attest to competition over political legitimacy; legitimacy to appropriate political authority, legitimacy to define national security, and legitimacy to ascribe and define national identity, national values, and national interests. The military discourse in these publications is saturated with instances of ideological work that support securitisation and militarisation practices. Therefore, this thesis has sought to understand and articulate those ideologies, argumentation strategies, and discursive constructions that emerged from the military publications. By doing this, this thesis provides insights into the various discourses that enable, normalise, and legitimise the military’s political practices and their potential effects on civil-military relations. It explores how the military employs various discursive and argumentation strategies to construct its political space. This thesis, thus, contributes to civil-military relations knowledge concerning the establishment of democratic control of armed forces in transitioning states.