WHY EGYPT OVERTHREW AND PAKISTAN OBEYED: COMPARING PROTEST MOVEMENTS IN EGYPT AND PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis between the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 and civilian protests against the military on May 9th 2023 in Pakistan. It aims to explore how protests in Egypt led to the dismantlement of a military dictatorship, while Pakistani protests with similar goals failed to generate impact. Although both unrests were rooted in public dissatisfaction against military establishments, the outcomes of their communal remonstration are visibly diverged. This study outlines the parameters of “success” of the said protests, that were able to impact and or displace military leadership in power. Through an examination of the protest sentiment, the organisational structure, leadership dynamics and the state sanctioned  repression strategies—including but not limited to the control of state and private media and the use of judicial power—this paper argues that Egypt’s success was facilitated by youth-led mobilisation, sustained collective outrage, and strategic planning. In contrast, the Pakistani protests suffered from weak organisation, political polarisation, higher protest costs for older participants, and a well-resourced, economically autonomous military establishment with extensive judicial authority. By drawing on existing theories of mobilisation and protest failure, this paper concludes that subtle structural and social differences—rather than the presence or absence of anger—accounted for the disparate outcomes of these two seemingly parallel movements.