Political Elite Careers in Pakistan

Based on an original data set of 322 federal ministers and 317 provincial ministers from Punjab and Sindh from 1988 to 2018, we examine the career movements of political elites in Pakistan. We argue that formal institutions enshrined in the constitution pertaining to federal design, the electoral and party system do not provide a complete explanation for the movement in political careers. In fact, informal institutions such as clientelism and dynasticism are far more critical drivers of career choices made by political elites. Contrary to the expectation that in a high-risk, hybrid political context we would find integrated careers, instead, our data set reveals that a majority of politicians prefer to have alternate careers at either the provincial or national level without much mobility between levels of government.