FROM OPPOSITION TO POWER: THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF POLITICAL ALLIANCES IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study, from the formation of the United Front in 1954 and up to the Pakistan Democratic Movement in 2020, looks at how major political coalitions have emerged in Pakistan. The research uses a qualitative historical approach to examine how this has affected the way these coalitions confronted authoritarianism and participated in elections, with their analysis built around coalition theory, democratic consolidation theory, and civil-military relations theory. The investigation addresses current topics such as the growing ideological divisions, the state's role in politics, and coalition-driven change that has far too often fallen short of making lasting changes. Using content analysis and comparative historical methods for analysis, the investigation shows that while coalitions were able to overturn regimes and secure widespread acclaim, they often failed to establish the relevant institutional preconditions for democratic transition. Internal conflict history, continued military support, and changing legal responses have repeatedly undermined the cohesion of coalitions. By taking a post-colonial position, this research sheds light on the enduring structural barriers to democratic stabilisation in unstable political situations. It illuminates the trends in opposition politics and institutional flaws in Pakistan's past.