One important difference between the two states is that Pakistan’s domestic and external policies are more entwined than those of India, partly because of Pakistan’s more perilous geostrategic position and partly because the dominant Pakistan army looks both inward and outward.
–Stephen Philip Cohen, The Idea of Pakistan, 2004.
The geostrategic position of Pakistan does force us to consider many aspects and hence defining a strong internal and foreign policy is a big challenge for the government. The present government has had to juggle the nexus between the military intervention in Karachi and the provincial government. The consensus for the military involvement began to unravel when the Karachi operation was expanded to include politically connected groups — such as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — that were involved in extortion and other criminal activities. Both parties share the same view: The Prime minister had given in to the security establishment and ceded control of the military. And perhaps it is no secret that the Pakistan Army does remain the dominant group as the public witnesses the improving security situation in the country, and wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the military and paramilitary forces at work, simultaneously losing faith in democratically elected leaders.