Competitive Authoritarian Regimes, Securitisation Techniques and the Role of Audiences: The Case of Pakistan

The article investigates the importance of the audience (general public) in the securitization process. It then applies the concept in the context of competitive authoritarianism using Pakistan as a case study. The article argues that similar to securitization processes, the audience plays a significant role in the (de-) democratisation process. The article contributes to both theoretical and empirical literature on securitization and democratisation by extending the role of the audience to the democratisation process during competitive authoritarian regimes.