Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end the military’s role in politics

For the past year or so, Pakistan has been in the grip of continued crises. Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has been mobilising to demand fresh elections since April 2022, when Khan's government came to an abrupt end after a vote of no-confidence. The economy is in shambles, with the threat of default looming over Pakistan. Khan's mobilisation has targeted both the incumbent government under Shehbaz Sharif for its failure to revive the economy and the military establishment for its political interference – specifically, for its role in ousting the Khan administration.

This political instability is leading to increased unrest. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is resurgent once again, targeting security forces as well as locals in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. People in the area have been protesting the TTP's resurgence for months, demanding decisive action from the state against the globally designated terror group. In Balochistan, the Gwadar Rights Movement has re-emerged, demanding an end to illegal fishing in the neighbouring sea by international – mostly Chinese – companies. The movement's demands reflect the province's overall exclusion from the political and economic structures of the state and its historic struggle for rights, power and control over its natural resources.