Under the Gun - Political Parties and Violence in Pakistan

"Political parties are integral to democracies. Yet, they frequently engage in violent behavior and form electoral alliances with non-state armed actors. When do parties engage in, or facilitate, violence and what determines the strategy of violence that they employ? Under the Gun explores these questions in the context of Pakistan"--

List of contents

1. Introduction: violence amid democracy; 2. The logic of party violence; 3. Setting the stage: violence, state capacity, and political representation in Pakistan; 4. Who owns the guns? The Muttahida Qaumi Movement and violence in Karachi; 5. The Pakistan People's Party and the gangs of Lyari, Karachi; 6. Allying with militants: the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and sectarian groups in Punjab ; 7. An ideology of non-violence? The Awami National Party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 8. Party violence in comparative perspective; 9. Conclusion: democracy amid violence.

About the author

Niloufer A. Siddiqui is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany-State University of New York (SUNY). She is co-editor of Pakistan's Political Parties: Surviving between Dictatorship and Democracy (2020).

Summary

Political parties are integral to democracies. Yet, they frequently engage in violent behavior and form electoral alliances with non-state armed actors. When do parties engage in, or facilitate, violence and what determines the strategy of violence that they employ? Under the Gun explores these questions in the context of Pakistan.

Product details

• Authors: Niloufer A. Siddiqui, Niloufer A. (University At Albany Siddiqui
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.10.2022
• EAN: 9781009242523
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0924252-3
• No. of pages: 300
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Pakistan, Political Parties, Political Ideologies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Comparative Politics, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian, South East Asia, Politics & government, Political structures: democracy, Comparative Politics, Politics and government, Political ideologies and movements, Political parties and party platforms, Political structures / systems: democracy