The EU and Pakistan’s turbulent democratisation

A conflict between Pakistan’s government and its muscleflexing judiciary is posing serious challenges to the country’s recently re-established democratic regime. It also breeds uncertainty in how the EU should engage with Pakistan. In June 2012, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton travelled to Islamabad to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani to launch a Strategic Dialogue and initiate a new EU-Pakistan 5-year Engagement Plan. This is set to expand the relationship beyond trade and aid to a broader range of issues which include security and counter terrorism. But less than two weeks after Ashton’s visit, Pakistan’s Supreme Court disqualified Gilani from office, the latest salvo in a four-year battle between Pakistan’s government and the top court. The EU has an interest in seeing democratic consolidation in Pakistan both for stability within the country and for security
cooperation in the region. But unless the ongoing political-legal battle leads to an extra-constitutional power grab by the military, Pakistan’s international partners can only express general support for democratic processes and continued civilian governance.

The EU should use the new Strategic Dialogue to focus on
supporting Pakistan’s own efforts at strengthening its democratic institutions. Trade and economic development aid can provide only very limited support for the resolution of Pakistan’s political problems. Both consistent political engagement and targeted technical support could greatly help Pakistan improve the robustness of its democratic institutions.