SEARCH ARTICLE

66 Pages : 660-671

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2020(V-I).66      10.31703/gssr.2020(V-I).66      Published : Mar 2020

An Analysis of Syrian Conflict with the Lens of the Realist School of Thought

    The Syrian war is rooted in the conflict between the Sunni opposition and Shia leader President Bashar, torn the country. The Syrian war took baby steps during the Arab Spring, which was supposed to bring hope and prosperity to Syria but unfortunately led to a series of horrifying protests that grew into a 9-year long civil war. The war-torn country has forced millions to escape the horrors of continuous fighting only to seek refuge in other countries with bare minimum resources. Multiple efforts by the International Organizations (I.Os) to halt the conflict between President Bashar and the opposition have repeatedly failed, and apparently, there is no hope for a peaceful solution. This paper aims to explain the Syrian war and break down the reason behind each ally's support to the chosen party and understand the Syrian conflict through the lens of Realism. The realist theory will shed some light on the root cause of international intervention by world powers and regional powers and how each actor's actions prolonged the conflict in Syria. And finally, to understand how domestic and international politics was used to carry out heinous crimes against innocent Syrian men, women, and children and analyze the strategies of actors to gain power in the region.

    Syria, Civil War, Regional Alliances, International Alliances, Sectarianism, Balance of Power
    (1) Sohail Ahmad
    Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (2) Muhammad Mubeen
    Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (3) Inayat Kalim
    Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.

25 Pages : 244-253

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2022(VII-II).25      10.31703/gssr.2022(VII-II).25      Published : Jun 2022

The Politics of Alliances During Ayub's Era of Controlled Democracy (1958-1969)

    The political system of Pakistan is comprised of a multi-party system; therefore, the formation of alliances and counter alliances by the political parties is a common feature of its political culture. Pakistan's political history reveals that alliances are formed against authoritarian military regimes.The alliances were also formed to cope with the civilian administration of popular leaders, as they are accused of benefiting from rigged elections, and authoritarian policies and being responsible for the economic crisis. During the military regime of Ayub Khan, the opposition alliances succeeded in removing Field Marshal Ayub Khan from the presidency as he failed to cope with its pressure in the late 1960s. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of these political alliances during the martial law regime of Ayub Khan.To what extent are they sincere in their cause of developing a viable political system in the country? What circumstances led to the formation of these alliances? What was the impact of these alliances on the Pakistani political spectrum? The present study has attempted to answer some of these questions.

    Political Parties, Alliances, Political System, Opposition, Election, Authoritarian, Dictatorship
    (1) Iltaf Khan
    Subject Specialist in Pakistan Study, Elementary and Secondary Education, KP, Pakistan.
    (2) Safina
    M. Phil Scholar (Pakistan Study), Qurtaba University, Peshawar, KP, Pakistan.
    (3) Attia Quresh
    Lecturer in Pakistan Studies, Women University Swabi, Swabi, KP, Pakistan.