US AID TO PAKISTAN DURING MUSHARRAF’S REGIME AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE POLITICS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

Pakistan since its inception has always remained dependent upon foreign aid and assistance for its economic needs and associated stability. Within this context, the United States is of prime importance because the United States has provided Pakistan with immense amounts of financial aid and assistance throughout history. But if studied deeply one can easily find out that the US aid and assistance to Pakistan is security driven rather than to meet the genuine needs of Pakistan, because in history there were times when Pakistan was in dire need of help, but the US did not extend its helping hands to Pakistan. Hence, US assistance to Pakistan is purely based on its strategic goals and national interests. Resultantly, if looked at from a critical perspective US aid has strengthened the non-elected institutions at the cost of the democratic and elected ones. Similarly, the aid has some positive as well as negative impacts on Pakistan generally and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa specifically. The topic undertaken is an attempt to investigate how a country whose ideals are liberal democracy, human rights, democratic institutions, and civilian supremacy has supported and strengthened the authoritarian and non-elected institutions of Pakistan at the cost of the democratic and the elected ones. The research will mainly focus on the Musharraf era and the area targeted will be the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.