Pakistan's bureaucracy has long been viewed as influential, with analysts arguing that it controls much of the political process. On the other hand, Indian bureaucracy is perceived as more regulatory and less politically involved. In this episode of New Wave Global, Asad Ejaz Butt is joined by Ilhan Niaz, Professor of History at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, to discuss the role of Pakistan’s civil bureaucratic mandarins (the officer class) and how they lost the power contest to the military. They explore how the political circumstances of the 1950s allowed the military to consolidate power. The discussion also covers the differences between the Indian and Pakistani civil services, shedding light on why government effectiveness is declining in both countries. Ilhan Niaz is the author of several books, including his latest, New World Empires: Cultures of Power and Governance in the Americas (Routledge, 2024). His other works include Downfall: Lessons for our Final Century (CSCR, 2022), The State During the British Raj: Imperial Governance in South Asia 1700-1947 (Oxford University Press, 2019), Old World Empires: Cultures of Power and Governance in Eurasia (Routledge, 2014), The Culture of Power and Governance of Pakistan, 1947-2008 (OUP, 2010), and An Inquiry into the Culture of Power of the Subcontinent (Alhambra, 2006). Tune in to explore the intricate dynamics of Pakistan’s bureaucracy.