Pakistan’s New Democratic Space

Pakistan in the post-2013 election period has experienced a resurgence of right-wing conservative parties. The decline of the historically right-of-centre Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) position in the current elections and the consolidation of national assembly seats by the neo-liberal and business-friendly Nawaz League, marks significant challenges for both the left and liberal forces. Pakistan’s nascent democracy is fraught with many policy challenges. However, despite these challenges, it must be noted that Pakistan’s political history has experienced a paradigm shift and the new political climate must be viewed from that perspective. This paper introduces the challenges that the young democracy faces, the trajectory of the political dispensation and the position of the Pakistani left within the overall framework of Pakistan’s political scenario.

Younas A. Chowdhry is a political activist from Pakistan. He is a director of Laal Theater and a member of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He can be reached at younas.chowdhry@gmail.com