Sir: Military intervention means the overthrow of an elected government by the country’s own army. The history of Pakistan is one of almost continuous political instability and the country has switched back and forth between democracy and military dictatorships. The first military coup was carried out in 1958 and from then onwards the military has either directly or indirectly ruled the country. There are many reasons why the military does so. First of all, the failure of our political leadership has led Pakistan to suffer severely. After Jinnah, there has not been a single leader who has worked towards a political consensus to maintain democracy in the country. From the years 1949 to 1958, Pakistan changed seven prime ministers, which fact depicts the acute political crisis it faced. Additionally there has been an ever growing influence of the military and bureaucracy over time, making political governments more vulnerable to destabilisation. Second, the perceived potential threat from India provides the military with the required high ground to intervene in the country’s politics. It is established that India and Pakistan have a rough relationship and the gravity of the perceived threat is repeatedly proven by the consistent presence of the military on the border. Moreover, the unresolved Kashmir dispute has created deep rooted insecurities among the people of Pakistan that have given stronger reasons for the military to interfere. The third cause of military interference is because there is no one to address and provide some concrete solutions to our national issues. This comes under the label of bad governance, when the democratic ruling political party fails to address the needs and the problems of the people such as natural calamities, unemployment, injustice and inflation. Then the people look up to the army. SYEDA MISHA RIZVI Karachi