Politics of Pakistan: The Role of the Opposition 1947-1958

The present study is a pioneering work, examining the general patterns of the opposition in the politics of Pakistan. The focus of the study is the role of opposition political parties as the most organized and institutionalized agents of political opposition in any society. It not only helps understand the causes of political instability, but also emphasizes the importance of tolerance and patience with dissent and criticism within society to assist democracy in taking root in Pakistan. The study deals with such questions as the determining factors in the emergence, growth, and development of the opposition in Pakistan; the relation between the government and the opposition and the extent to which it affected the political system; and the role of the opposition in the framing the constitution for the new state. It considers the perceptions of the opposition on key issues in the politics of Pakistan and describes the role of the opposition parties in the post-independence political developments in Pakistan.