Orient Research Journal of Social Sciences ISSN Print 2616-7085

June 2018, Vol.3, No. 1 [160-174] ISSN Online 2616-7093

Circulation of Elites in Pakistan’s Politics

Dr. Farzana Rizvi

University of the Punjab, Lahore

Abstract
The purpose of this research is to study the circulation of elite in Pakistan’s
politics. How elites emerged, replaced and circulated in a society? Should
they perform any role in socio-political development of a state? The debate in
the paper will deal how many kinds of elites circulate in Pakistan’s politics
and their circulation process. Finally, as a developing nation Pakistan had
many sociopolitical problems and the institutions also not strong enough so
the circulation of elite is low in politics. The dominant class is the landowning,
military and bureaucracy, a small sect of group is the ruling class in Pakistan.
Date collected from various books from international and national level. The
study employed mixed method of qualitative research; descriptive, explorative
and narrative and the research had been drawn from pragmatic paradigm of
Western thought.

Key Words: Elite, Circulation of Elites, Pakistan’s politics

Introduction
Elite is the oldest concept but was developed after Renaissance and
Reformation when the social idea of progress was changed and who rules is
still a constant and universal political problem throughout the world. Social
scientist talked about elites in the context of governing body, leadership and
politician who performed structural functional role in politics.1 The early
philosophers, Plato Aristotle and Machiavelli also touched this subject while
Plato talked about Philosopher King who is intellectual elite which comes out
from a long and tiring process. He tells us that “neither cities nor states nor
individuals will ever attain perfection until the small class of philosophers are
providentially compelled, whether they will or not to take care of the states
and until a like necessity be laid on the state to obey them…such men are not

1
Kuper, Jessica Political Science and Political Theory, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,
1987, p.61.
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ordinary mortals, they are spectators of all time and all existence”.2Aristotle
classified it into three major groups: monarchy, aristocracy and polity, these
are the normal and good forms of politics and the worst form of these kinds
are tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. Monarchy and dictatorship were ruled
by one, aristocracy by few and democracy by many. 3 On the other hand,
Machiavelli suggested his Prince how to rule.4 Almost, all philosophers
contributed their thoughts regarding ruling and governing class and they
popularized their particular thought towards this subject.5 Later Karl Marx
talked about the struggle of two classes of people in society and finally
suggested classless society. “In 17th C the word Elite was used to describe,
commodities of particular excellence, later it extended to superior social
groups, such as military units or the higher ranks of the nobility”. “In 18 th C
Oxford English Dictionary applied this term as social groups and in 19 th C this
term did not become widely used in social and political writing until late in
this Century in Europe, or until the 1930s in Britain and America”.6
Elite theory was basically derived from the two Italian sociologists
Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca. It’s also related to the rise and fall of elite
in political arena and how an individual is circulated recruited and replaced
into different positions. Pareto started that people are unequal physically as
well as mentally so in a society different types of people circulate and some of
more gifted than others who are the elites.7 He defined elite as, “a class of the
people, who have the highest indices in their branch of activity, and to that
class given the name of elite”. 8 He further explained that, “in every branch of
human activity each individual is given an index, which stands as a sign of his

2
Girvetz, Harry K.. Democracy and Elitism: Two Essays with Selected Readings, New York:
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1967, p. 40
3
Kuper, op. cit. p. 141.
4
Ibid.
5
Porte, Robert La JR., Power and Privilege: Influence and Decision-Making in Pakistan,
California: University of California Press, 1975, p. 1.
6
Parry, G. Political Elite, London: George Allens & Unwin Publishers Ltd., 1977, Fifth
Impression; p.15.
7
Bottomore, T. B. Elites and Society Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1964, 7, p. 49.
8
Lewis A. Coser, Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas In Historical and Social Context,
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1971, p. 397.

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capacity, very much the way grades are given in the various subjects in
examinations in school as the highest marks are ten and lowest is zero” 9
Review of literature.
In Pakistan a very few attempts have been made to discuss this concept
while these attempts made by Western and Pakistani authors. Asaf Hussan,
discussed this concept and explained that “a specific elite group is a strong
characteristic in the history of Pakistan. It imposed the greatest strain on the
political system when it developed along ethnic lines. The major landowning
elite group led to the ethnicization of political forces of the NWFP and
Baluchistan on one side, and Sind and Punjab on the other”.10 He divided elites
into three different groups: “traditional, colonial, and emergent”. “Traditional
group referred to the period of Muslim rule, colonial to the period of British
rule (1857-1947) and emergent elites were those that become politically active
in the post-1947 period”.11 “Each elite group was continually engaged in
mobilizing its resources to transform the state to safeguard its vested interests.
With such transformations in mind, each regime emphasized some ideology to
legitimize their systems”.12 The main study dealt with the two concepts which
can apply to all societies, although the political ideology may differ from
states to state. The first class is the governing or ruling class and the second
class is the masses and it is considered as governed. 13 “In every society
political power is differentially distributed in the political system. Political
elites are the power-holders in the body of politics. In the general sense,
political elites are those persons who possess more power or political
influence than the non-elites (the masses). While governing elites specifically
refers who occupy leading positions in the political arena and exercise
power.14 Political arena of Pakistan where the governing elites are

9
Pareto, Vilfredo, The Mind and Society: A Treatise on General Sociology, New York: Dover
Publication, 1935, 1423.
10
Hussain, Asaf, Elite Politics in an Ideological State: The Case of Pakistan, Kent: Wm
Dawson & Sons Ltd, Cannon House Folkestone, 1979, p. 153.
11
Rizvi, Farzana, Circulation of Elite in West and in Pakistan: Historical Perspective, Journal
of the Punjab University of Historical Society, Vol 28 No. 1, 2015: p. 55.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid.
14
Hussain, op. cit. pp. 34-35.

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concentrated and where most of the high level decision-making takes place, is
the Central Cabinet of the Pakistan government”.15
Saeed Shafqat identified five types of elite: “military elites,
bureaucratic elites, industrial-merchant elites, political elites, and religious
elites. Of these, military, bureaucracy and merchant-industrial classes are
dominating and the parameters of Pakistani political system.”16 “Political
elites, who led the nationalist movement which had a high mobilization
capacity they inherited week or almost non-existent political institutions”. “In
the absence of political institutions, they fell on bureaucracy. On the other
hand, the Muslims-merchant classes who provided the initial finance for the
Pakistan movement and also migrated to Pakistan emerged as an important
coalitional component”. 17 He further asserted
“In 1958 when the military acted to resolve the crisis and then a new
ruling coalition was evolved. This change of regime meant defining new rules
which were EBDO changed the role of political elite and with that new
farmers and new Industrial commercial-industrial class appeared. Bureaucratic
and military elites are dominant in this period and during 1970 election the
nature and role of Islam were encouraged as an ideological component. It was
under such an environment that Z. A. Bhutto (1971-77) had to formulate a
ruling coalition and rejuvenate the structural components of Pakistan’s
political system.” 18
Bhutto headed Pakistan People Party (PPP), “which was an umbrella
organization, representing interests of feudal, middle class, intelligentsia,
students, and labor” etc. “It had sympathizers in the military and bureaucracy.
However political elites who dominated the decision making had social origins
in the feudal and urban middle class”.19 Bhutto adopted a policy of selective
co-option to recruit political elites and a reformist program to legitimize its

15
Ibid., p.35
16
Shafqat, Saeed, Political System of Pakistan and Public Policy: Essays in Interpretation
Lahore: Progressive Publishers, 1989, p. 24.
17
Ibid., pp. 26-27.
18
Ibid., pp. 29, 30, 36.
19
Ibid., p. 36.

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rule. The regime’s primary objective was to establish the supremacy of

political elites and rehabilitate the political structures of the political system. 20
Robert La Port, Jr. analytically divided the population of Pakistan into
four broad categories of people. “First group is the modern, ruling elite,
identified as top-level military officers, the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP
officers), and leading businessmen and industrialists (including the twenty
families). These ruling elites is western-oriented and belongs to western-
21
schooled now controlled the political system”. “Second class is educated
middle class, who are sophisticated enough to realize the possibilities of
societal change or reform but economically restricted in their ability to
influence change or reform”. Occupational examples of these transitional-
dependents include lawyers, academics, and journalists.22
“Third group are the thousands of students in Pakistani Universities
and Colleges. They are transitional-independents because they lack the
economic concerns of their older brothers, uncles, or fathers in the
transitional-independents category”. “Fourth group traditional are the
parochial, provincial rural, and urban dwellers.23 The last category especially
is the broad mass of people includes industrial workers, unskilled urban
laborers, village craftsman, peasants, agrarian proletariat, mini-farmers, and
regional affinities.24 The main criticism of this categorization and the behavior
modes, values, and attitudes is that it is too broad and general and does not
sufficiently differentiate between groups within each category.25 According to
him: “there are three major but overlapping elite groups in Pakistan: Political,
Economic, and Social.” The political elite groups are based on these following
categories: The top-level military, the central elite civil services, landowning
families.26 “Top level military are based on Colonel through General-ranks,
with emphasis on seniority in rank, and principally the Army and Air Force,
since the navy has not traditionally attracted the most ambitious sons of the
landowning class and, therefore, has exercised a great deal of power relative to

20
Ibid., 37.
21
LaPorte, op. cit. pp. 3, 12, 13.
22
Ibid.
23
Rizvi, Farzana, op. cit. p. 56.
24
Ibid., p. 57.
25
Ibid.
26
La Porte, op. cit. p. 13.

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27
the other armed forces.” “The Civil Services and the Foreign Services in
Pakistan depended of the members of the large landowning families of the
Punjab and Sind, who chose other occupations outside the civil service and the
military, (this category would include, for example, such individuals as
Z.A.Bhutto, who comes from a large landowning family in the Sind) This
category has been a source of ministerial talent for all regimes in Pakistan
28
since 1947.” The main political power has been concentrated on the
bureaucratic-military elites who were the successors of the British Raj but the
mostly ministers were from landowning class.29 “The main beneficiaries of
independence have been the bureaucracy and military who have enjoyed
lavish perquisites and have grown in number, the new class of industrial
capitalists, professional people whose numbers have grown rapidly and the
last are the landlords.” 30
Who are the real elite group or power holders in Pakistan? When this
question was asked by a former Federal Minister Dr Mubasher Hasan, he
answered that the real power is in the hands of ‘Military’. He said, “that the
higher civil servants (not whole bureaucracy), law machinery (judges), and tax
collector are active participant and sportive to military. The dismissal of
Bhutto’s government also indicated that the real power holder in Pakistan is
the military rule”. He further asserted:
“That it was the weak nationalist and pro-imperialist character
of the Pakistani ruling class that bought about the collapse of party
politics in the pre-military hegemonic phase. The ruling class in
Pakistan had three components: feudal class, the capitalist class and the
middle class. He called all these classes are fake and vassals of
imperialism. Thus he conclusively asserts that, these classes are always
looking towards their imperialist bosses for their guidance and
direction”. 31

27
Ibid., p.4
28
Ibid., pp. 4-5
29
Ibid., pp. 91-92.
30
Ibid.

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 Circulation of Elites in Pakistan’s Politics

Circulation of Elite in Pakistan’s Politics 1947 to date

Circulation of elite in Pakistan’s politics in different phases from 1947 to
present is represented through the following figures:
Elite Circulation (1947-1958)
In this phase, there are three types of elite circulation appeared in
Pakistan. These elites, who led the nationalist movement had high
mobilization capacity but at that time the political institutions were weak and
immature which inherited by British. Due to the weak institution the
leadership fell on bureaucracy always educated and organized class. The third
important class was Industrial Merchant Class not only provided fiancé but
they migrated in newly independent state emerged as a new class in Pakistan.
32
Jinnah was the professional elite (Lawyer) who performed a dominant role
for the establishment of Pakistan. Whole situation is presented through the
following figure:
FIGURE: 1 Circulation of Elites (1947-1958)
PE

BE IMC
Elite Circulation (1958-1969)
Military in 1958 intervened in Pakistan’s politics and emerged as new
ruling elite. They imposed EBDO which changed the political scenario and
with that New Farmers and New Industrial Commercial Class appeared.33 This
era can be represented in the following figure:

31
Interview of Dr. Mubashir Hassan. All these views were collected through an interview
from Dr. Mubashir Hassan, former Federal Minister of Z. A. Bhutto’ Cabinet.
32
Shafqat, op. cit, p. 24.
33
Ibid., p. 27.

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FIGURE: 2 Circulation of Elites (1958-1969)

Elite Circulation (1969-1971)

During that period military and bureaucracy were dominant in politics
and the religion especially the role of Islam was encouraged as an ideological
factor. Over all the military, bureaucratic and religious elites were dominated
that phase which can be observed in the following figure:
FIGURE: 3 Circulation of Elites (1969-1971)
ME BE
PE
PE

RE
Elite Circulation (1971-1977)
Z. A. Bhutto, who Pakistan People Party (PPP) and headed was formed
as an umbrella organization represented multiple interests of feudal, middle
and lower classes, intelligentsia, students, labor and had sympathizers in
military and bureaucracy. PPP as an ideological vision (Islam and socialism)
restructure and re organized the almost whole of Pakistan’s system and with
significant unanimous constitution of 1973.334 In that period the political elite
was dominant in Pakistan’s politics and supported elite circulation is well
represented in the following figure:

34
Ibid., p. 36.

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 Circulation of Elites in Pakistan’s Politics

FIGURE: 4 Circulation of Elites (1971-1977)

Elite Circulation (1977-1985)

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Chief of the Army Staff formed a
military rule in Pakistan. Bhutto’s trial, MRD movement, Presidential
Referendum Non-Party Elections and his Islamization were the significant
events during that period. This period’s politics is well represented in the
following figure, Military, bureaucratic, religious, industrial and professional
elites are significant elites:
FIGURE: 5 Circulation of Elites (1977-1985)

ME

BE RE IMC PE
Elite Circulation (1985-1988)
In 1985’s Non-Party election Junejo government formed, formation of
IJI (Islami Jamhuri Ittehad), Zia – ul – Haq’s accidental death, General
elections PPP’s second government and Benazir Bhutto’s became Prime
Minister of Pakistan. The dominant classes were political with military,
bureaucratic, New Industrial Commercial Class and Islamic Merchant Classes
appeared. Middle farmer and traditional religious were less significant in that
period. Whole situation is presenting in the following figure:

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FIGURE: 6 Circulation of Elites (1985-1988)

BE ME IMC

NICC

PE

MF RE
Elite Circulation (1988 - )
In this period industrial, labor, industrial merchant classes and
women’s role in politics were prominent. Military elites are still at the top with
the cooperation of bureaucratic and industrial elite classes. The whole
situation is well represented in the following figure:
FIGURE: 7 Circulation of Elites (1988 - )

ME

BE IMC

IL MCI

PE

Women MF
Findings and Conclusions
After reviewing the different literature regarding elite there can be
viewed six types of elites in Pakistani politics, who are holding power directly
and indirectly in the country. These six types of elite are: military elite,
bureaucratic elite, religious elite, industrial elite, landowning elite and
professional elites. When all six elite circulate in politics are called political
elite while performing their role in political arena. Further more in Pakistan
the artists still not got the position/status of elite but players are still struggling
for their status in politics.

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 Circulation of Elites in Pakistan’s Politics

Elite can be described as an “influential figure in a society, who has

enough capability to drive certain section of people according to their own will
or interest are called elite”. “That person must have some capacity to set the
styles, norms and values and change or alter the rules. He must be at the top of
any institutions or organizations. Moreover, elite is an individual, wealthy,
influential, well known and have intellectual superiority”. On the other hand,
Circulation of elites is a process in which masses become elite and elites
became masses. “This process is depends on two following factors: the first is
‘Hereditary Factors’: a person may have wealth (or status), which make him
elite due to that wealth. The second factor is ‘Acquired’: any individual or
masses can become elite through education and intelligence. Through proper
education, training and intelligence, a person can acquire status and this status
gave him power and this power can convert him into a wealthy person; an
elite”.
Today the concept of social progress changed and now an ordinary
person become elite through their knowledge, education and experiences and
with these qualities they can maintain their designation. Now multinationals
hired/appointed expertise for their businesses because an idiot can easily
loosed everything. The most important factor is education and experience
which can convert an ordinary person into elite. It can be concluded that an
elite must be an intelligent person. In Pakistani politics three types of
circulation of elites can be observed: 35
“Circulation between the elite and masses
 Circulation between different categories of ruling elites
 A process in which, one elite is replaced by another”.
Circulation of elite in Pakistan’s different phases is further explained in the
following table:

35
Rizvi, Farzana Circulation of Elites in Bhutto’s Regime 1971-77, Pakistan Perspectives,
Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi, Volume 19, No. 1 2014, p. 129.

170
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Circulation of Elites in Pakistan

Dominate
Periods or Others Activists
Elite Comments
Dates or Supporters
Leader.
Only Professional Elite In
1947-58 PE BE, IE
Pakistan.
1958-71 ME BE, IE, PE, RE Religious Elites Are Active
Feudals, Students, Labours
1971-77 LE IE, PE, BE, ME
& Women.
Judiciary Entered In
1977-85 ME BE, RE, IE
Politics.
New Industrial Groups
1985-88 ME LE, PE, RE,
Emerged
1988-90 LE LE, PE, BE Feudals, Women & Labour
Business Groups &
1990-93 IE LE, PE, IE
Professionals
FEUDALS, (Representing
1993-96 LE LE, PE, IE , ME
Interests Of All Groups.)
Business Groups &
1997-98 IE LE, PE, IE
Professionals
Women Are Active In
1998-2008 ME ME,LE, RE, PE Politics, Judiciary’s
Influential Role
Democracy, But
2008- Judiciary And Media’s
LE PE, LE,
Influential Role. Sit-In And
Protest.
Table: 1Sources: Prepared by Researcher (Notes: these above abbreviations
stands for, BE (Bureaucratic elites), IE (Industrial elites), LE (Landowning
elites), ME (Military elites), PE (Professional elites), RE (Religious elites).
The leading representative elite class in Pakistan is still the landowning
class, who got the highest seats in the National Assembly from 1947 to now,
but they are less significant. They look like influential and decision maker but
the dismissal of Bhutto’s government indicates that the real power holder is
not this class who are the leading representative class in the assembly.
The second largest elite class is the middle class. These middle classes
are based on professionals and intellectuals. In the history of Pakistan under
Bhutto’s regime it is a great change, which took place. They played significant
role in Pakistani politics. There major contributions are Constitution of 1973
and a lot of policies about different issues. But they could not be able to play
this role for a long time. The reason behind this is the traditional elite, they did
not allow the new class (Middle class professional elite) to play effective role

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for long time. The real change is the awareness introduced which by Bhutto.
His influence appealed the middle class, lower middle class, who can changes
the pattern of any society. Now common man had his own opinion, especially
the lower middle class is loyal to Bhutto’s philosophy though they suffer a lot
in the next martial law period.
Third important leading classes are the industrials and religious
classes. The religious leaders influence is greater than the seats in National
Assembly Suggested. They have the ability to call people in to the streets
(motivated the masses) but could not win a number of seats in the elections.
On the other hand industrialists are also convence the colonial elites to make
the policies for their own interests. Bureaucracy and military are institutional
and administrative and non elected elites, so their representation in the
elections is quite less or minimum. Above all in Pakistan the real power holder
is the bureaucratic and military elites.
Today judiciary and media’s role is quite significant. During the recent
confrontation between executive and judiciary the judiciary’s superiority leads
the country towards new and different directions. The non elected actors
(Judiciary) superiority over elected actor (parliament) creates a number of
changes and also leads towards a new confrontation among separation of
powers. What happens next we still do not know?
Media as non-elected and non-state actor perform their role very
powerfully today. In the last ten years, the rapid changes in media technology
have had their effects on both the content of the media and the amount of
material published and broadcast. In the first place, new printing technology,
the use of satellites and the laying of cables have helped to increase in media
output, although there is now a greater diversity of ownership, as the costs are
too high for new or alternative companies to enter the market.38 36
This
technology has also allowed events to be transmitted directly both locally and
internationally, so that events taking place far away are becoming more
relevant and meaningful to the audience. A further influence on the way news
is produced comes on one hand from the competition between the various
media outputs and on the other from the activities of individual journalists,

36
Moore, S. & Sinclair, S. P. Sociology Chicago: NTC Publishing Group, 1995, pp.318-319.

172
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producers and writers.39 37

Competing media as organizations, particularly
those concerned with news production will often engage in amplification of
events in order to sell more copies or gain more viewers. So stories develop
which come to be both exaggerated and distorted, in the attempt by rivals to
outsell the others. On the other hand, the attempts by individuals with in media
organizations to promote their own careers can influence the actual content of
the media as they seek to gain personal attention.38
How media constructs a reality for us and then examine the extent to
which this affects our lives. It is often claimed that the media or free press
provide us with an independent means of judging the government and putting
forward different views. Yet many critics point to the way that almost all the
media are owned by relatively few companies or individuals.39 The question is
how free are the media is? We then look at the way the content of media is
affected, if at all, by the patterns of necessarily mean that they dictate what the
content is but there is a strong argument that pressures outside the control of
the owners actually dictate the contents of newspapers, television, radio and
films.40 There are many approaches about the media that the owners directly
control the content of media; the owners indirectly control the content of
media’ the media determine by a plurality of values’ and that the media reflect
the wishes of the buying public (a laissez-faire approach). These processes
have made a number of commentators worry that a free press which allows a
range of opinions and ideas to be aired is gradually disappearing and the
particular views of the few media companies are imposed throughout the
media.41 Today not only media owner but few anchor persons are also
considered to be in the elite group.
The purpose of the study was to see the circulation of elites in
Pakistan’s politics. After reviewing the different concepts of elite circulation
in Pakistan, it can be observed that in a society like Pakistan the circulation of
elites is not much obvious. A few classes participated in politics. The major
requirement of the study is to the inductions of middle classes and educated

37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid., pp. 312-313.
40
Ibid.,
41
Ibid., p. 314.

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class in Pakistan’s politics. The other important requirement is to re-structure

the political system so other profession can enter in politics which can be
helpful for policy making for Pakistan. The question of eligibility to govern or
rule is generally vague, but elite must have some extra qualities which
differentiate him from masses. Now requirement of time is to minimize the
role of hereditary aristocracy and induction of new educated and intellectual
classes in Pakistan’s politics.

174