The politics of policing in Pakistan: decentralisation of power in a federalised political landscape

Abstract

How do political parties establish partisan control over police forces in federalised hybrid regimes with powerful militaries? Focusing on Pakistan, this paper examines how, in the context of limited and ambiguous administrative decentralisation after the 18th Amendment to the constitution, and continued military embeddedness in state bureaucracies, parties have sought to control provincial police forces. Focusing on clashes over appointments in the leadership of provincial police forces, we argue that: firstly, turnover in the leadership of provincial police forces is more likely under new governments than under incumbent governments; and, secondly, provincial police leadership is more likely to pushback against partisan control when the hybrid political system is vertically fragmented, i.e, when the provincial political leadership and the federal military leadership are not aligned. We analyse the politics of policing in two provinces, Sindh and Punjab, since 2017. This comparative analysis contributes to debates on the politics of policing in hybrid federations.