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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Pakistan
Index
Another significant aspect of Pakistan's political
legacy is
its military forces and, in particular, the role of the
largest
of these forces, the army
(see Role and Structure of the Security Forces
, ch. 5). The military remains one of the country's
most
cohesive national institutions. Since independence it has
oscillated between indirect and direct political control,
remaining a major power. The military's sense of mission
in
defending and preserving the Islamic state of Pakistan has
always
been strong. For Muslim members of the British Indian
Army, the
transfer of loyalties from the colonial to the ideological
state
was not difficult. Successors to the historical legacy of
the
Muslim armies of the once powerful Mughal Empire, Muslim
soldiers
could relate to a new role of protecting the faith and the
state
embodied in Pakistan. The military also provided
alternative
political leadership in times of crisis. Military regimes
in
Pakistan have legitimated their actions by the doctrine of
necessity, stepping in temporarily when political crises
have
reached a deadlock and threatened the state
(see Constitutional Basis and Missions
, ch. 5).
Data as of April 1994
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