Pakistan’s Hybrid Polity: A Rigged System and Public Frustration
Elections and Power Dynamics:
- Recent elections led to a new government under Shehbaz Sharif, seen as compliant to the military.
- Asif Zardari returns as President, while Maryam Nawaz takes a first stab at governance.
- Imran Khan, the opposition leader, is sidelined and jailed, preventing his party’s potential win.
- The military achieved its goal of a “minus Imran” and “minus Nawaz” political landscape.
History of Elections in Pakistan:
- 1970: Free and fair elections led to the country’s break-up due to the Bengali majority vote.
- 1977: Rigged elections by Bhutto resulted in a military coup by Zia ul-Haq.
- 2018: The military allegedly engineered a “hybrid” regime with Imran Khan.
- 2024: The military’s attempt at pre-poll manipulation failed due to public discontent.
The Military’s Influence:
- The caretaker government system is seen as a tool for military manipulation.
- The army asserts dominance through corps commander meetings and public statements.
- They aim to control dissent and maintain power over security and foreign policy.
Corporate Analogy:
- The army chief is like a CEO with corps commanders forming the board.
- Shehbaz Sharif is the COO, Zardari the ceremonial MD, and IMF-approved banker is the CFO.
- The public, the shareholders, have little say in the nation’s direction.
Economic Crisis and IMF Loan:
- The new government faces a severe economic crisis and seeks a $6 billion IMF loan.
- Reforms include energy price hikes, privatization, and controlling military’s economic role (a challenge for the IMF).
- India cautions the IMF against funding the Pakistani military or Chinese debt.
India’s Response:
- India avoids commenting on the flawed polls and focuses on internal elections.
- PM Modi’s Kashmir visit prioritizes internal development and avoids mentioning Pakistan.
- India separates its Kashmir policy from dealing with Pakistan as a foreign policy concern.
Financial Inclusion of Women in India: Progress and Pointers
Importance and Current Status:
- Financial inclusion is crucial for development and achieving SDGs (8 out of 17).
- India scores low in economic participation for women (Global Gender Gap Report 2023).
- Financial inclusion can bridge this gap.
- World Bank data (2011-2020) shows a global rise in account ownership (50%) and a significant increase in India (42%).
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) launched in 2014 has opened over 28 crore bank accounts for women (as of Jan 2024).
National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Findings:
- Progress in multiple dimensions of financial inclusion for women.
- Increased ownership of bank accounts, self-control over money, and micro-credit awareness.
- NFHS-5 data (2019-21) identifies factors influencing financial inclusion:
- Education (especially digital skills)
- Occupation
- Access to electronic media
- Age
Education and Employment as Drivers:
- Educated women are more aware of micro-credit schemes.
- Working women are more likely to use these schemes.
- Educated women with higher qualifications may use formal credit channels instead.
Digital Transactions and Socio-economic factors:
- Educated, young, employed women with digital skills are more likely to use digital payments.
- The head of household’s gender and wealth influence access to micro-credit.
Key Learnings and Recommendations:
- Focus on women in non-female-headed households for financial inclusion programs.
- Integrate financial awareness modules in education and skill development programs.
- Regularly update financial literacy modules considering the evolving financial sector.
- Raise awareness about cyber safety and digital banking practices due to rising cybercrimes.