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.