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Khwaja Asif Defends Pakistan's Hybrid Governance Amid Economic Strain

9/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Khwaja Asif, Pakistan's Defence Minister, defended the hybrid governance model, saying power is shared in practice.
In a Mehdi Hasan interview, he dismissed comparisons to the U.S. military structure as a 'deep state'.
Asif called the past military rulers' influence a 'practical necessity' amid economic strain.
Decision-making rests on consensus, not equality, with the military retaining influence over civilian leadership.

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Story summary

Khwaja Asif, Pakistan's Defence Minister, defended the hybrid governance model, saying power is shared in practice.
In a Mehdi Hasan interview, he dismissed comparisons to the U.S. military structure as a 'deep state'.
Asif called the past military rulers' influence a 'practical necessity' amid economic strain.
Decision-making rests on consensus, not equality, with the military retaining influence over civilian leadership.