Causes of Political Polarization in Pakistan from 1947 to 2024

Abstract

Recently, political polarization has been one of the most rampant political processes across the globe. Stable, as well as unstable democracies, have been affected by political polarization. Since its inception, Pakistan has been a politically polarized country. Politicians have further widened the gap based on numerous issues to gain their political goals. Unfortunately, there has been unprecedented political polarization in Pakistan in the last few years. From the political elite to the masses everyone is politically divided. This division has contributed to the culture of hatred, abuse, and intolerance. There are several causes of political polarization including mainstream media, social media, the political elite, and income inequality around the globe. However, in this study, the main causes of political polarization in Pakistan are the media and political elite being discussed.

Keywords: Political polarization, Political process, Pakistan’s politics, Political elite, Political divisions