Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy

This book tackles a previously forbidden subject - the range and depth of the military's business interests - considered a major factor in the ambitions of the Generals who have ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 60-year history. The central argument of her book is that `Milbus' (combining the words military and business) perpetuates the military's political predatory style. Its good health is dependent on the military's influence over state and society. In other words, profit is directly proportionate to power. And, that this is both a cause and effect of a non-democratic political system. Focusing in detail on the army's undocumented and unscrutinised corporate interests, one comes to know the history of the evolution of the Pakistan Army's corporate face.
The book reveals that although the military's internal economy was established in 1953-54, it did not grow as rapidly. The book maintains that "it was after the third martial law in 1977 that the military started to work more consistently on expanding its economic interests. This coincided with the efforts to establish the military as an independent entity parallel to all other political and civil society players. Contrary to claims from the armed forces that the National Security Council is necessary to strengthen democracy, the underlying concept is to establish the military's position as an independent entity that can present and support its interests like other members of the ruling elite. Moreover as the defence establishment gained experience of governance and political control, it expanded its economic interests as well. Each military regime gave greater advantages to its personnel than its military predecessor and became more accommodative of the personal interests of its office cadre. Each military leader for his survival has to reward the senior echelons of the military to ensure their allegiance and establish unity of command in the forces".