Yasir Ahmed Soomro

political analyst with a YouTube channel

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Yasir Ahmed Soomro is a political analyst with a YouTube channel. He argues that Pakistan's rent-seeking elite is sustained by US patronage, directly or indirectly through Middle Eastern states.

Views on the global order

Soomro has said that the world moved into interest-based blocs rather than a bipolar order. He says the expectation that America would be able to change the order in its favour was not fully realised. He also says companies depend on skills, workforce and cheap labour. [1]

He says the number of foot soldiers no longer decides modern conflict. In his view, money now matters most, since it can be turned into drones, missiles and infrastructure. He says the world is moving towards an authoritarian era and that an economy cannot survive or grow in isolation. [1]

Pakistan's foreign relationships

Soomro says Pakistan chose the Western bloc after independence. He says Pakistan was a front state in a major war during Zia-ul-Haq's time. He says a view grew inside the establishment that it could not completely rely on America. [1]

He says Pakistan gradually aligned with China as CPEC gained momentum from around 2016. He describes a theory that the establishment kept a second option open by delaying CPEC. He says CPEC leadership moved to the military when Imran Khan came to office. He says China takes a very business-focused approach, and he calls China the wild card when the situation is viewed through game theory. [1]

He says Pakistan kept its options open and would not move against Iran. On the Middle East, he says Saudi Arabia lost almost 48% of its revenue over the last two months, and that the Middle East does not have the money to sustain such excesses. He says the Arabs rethought their approach after the 2011 Arab Spring and concluded they would have to open up. [1]

Economy and the state

Soomro says a Pakistani institution performs well by exporting its services abroad. He says relying only on exported services creates a sustainability problem. He says a military and security structure cannot be sustained without economic growth, unless rent keeps being paid. [1]

He says that if free money stops arriving from outside, those involved will fight among themselves internally to extract it. He feels Pakistan's power structures may not see any need to restructure. [1]

Balochistan

Soomro says Balochistan will not function until its present problems are solved. He warns that Balochistan will be in bad turmoil, with so much exploitation that it could not be controlled. [1]

The hybrid system

Soomro says hard power holders needed legitimacy, which they sought through a democratic structure. He says the hard power side's need for civilian structures has reduced, citing the India war and the Iran conflict. He says the system runs on faces and their power, not on the system. [1]

He says a popular government inside the same hybrid system would leave the underlying structure unchanged. He is not hopeful that the system will gain a democratic element. He thinks the way the system operates, its underlying DNA, may change. [1]

He says a large, performative accountability drive could win public support. He says any attempt at total control by the establishment will fail. [1]

Constitution and the courts

Soomro says the 27th amendment created a Chief of Defence Forces post. He says a post such as Vice Chief of Army Staff, or a joint strategic command, was created and no appointment was made to it. He says there is a three-star and a five-star position but no four-star, and nobody holds four-star rank. [1]

He says no government has the strength to reject a Supreme Court order. He says the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court are at odds with each other. [1]

Political parties

Soomro says that if politics is to happen, PTI could carry it on the basis of Imran Khan, if he comes out. He says power has been used step by step to make PTI irrelevant. He argues support for Imran Khan was more a reaction against traditional politicians than support for Khan himself. [1]

He says PMLN built its earlier politics on being anti-establishment. He says he does not think PMLN and the establishment are going away from each other right now, and that they will remain close. [1]

He says a power structure of the People's Party once operated through the UAE as a proxy. He says the People's Party has historically been aligned with the US, in the period after Bhutto. He says Benazir was returning under a deal with the US. He says Bilawal has been aligned with the US. [1]

He says that whenever the People's Party travels, a whole camp is seen travelling. He says the party appears to be confused internally right now. He describes a scenario in which a two-thirds majority could be had without needing the People's Party. He says the People's Party would stand with the public. He says the People's Party was needed because Imran Khan is very big. [1]

Timeline

2011
Soomro says the Arabs rethought their approach after the Arab Spring and concluded they would have to open up.[1]
2016
Soomro says CPEC gained momentum from around this year, as Pakistan gradually aligned with China.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2026-05-06 Pakistan's hybrid system has run out of foreign rent Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Yasir Ahmed Soomro?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro is a political analyst. He has a YouTube channel. He argues that Pakistan's rent-seeking elite is sustained by US patronage, directly or indirectly through Middle Eastern states.[1]

Does Yasir Ahmed Soomro have a YouTube channel?

Yes, Yasir Ahmed Soomro has a YouTube channel. He is described as a political analyst.[1]

What does Yasir Ahmed Soomro say about Pakistan and China?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro says Pakistan gradually aligned with China as CPEC gained momentum from around 2016. He says China takes a very business-focused approach. He also describes a theory that the establishment kept a second option open by delaying CPEC.[1]

What does Yasir Ahmed Soomro say about Pakistan's hybrid system?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro says a popular government inside the same hybrid system would leave the underlying structure unchanged. He is not hopeful that the system will gain a democratic element. He thinks the way the system operates, its underlying DNA, may change.[1]

What does Yasir Ahmed Soomro say about foreign money and Pakistan?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro argues that Pakistan's rent-seeking elite is sustained by US patronage, directly or indirectly through Middle Eastern states. He says a military and security structure cannot be sustained without economic growth, unless rent keeps being paid. He says that if free money stops arriving from outside, those involved will fight among themselves internally to extract it.[1]

What does Yasir Ahmed Soomro say about Balochistan?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro says Balochistan will not function until its present problems are solved. He warns that Balochistan will be in bad turmoil, with so much exploitation that it could not be controlled.[1]

What does Yasir Ahmed Soomro say about the People's Party?

Yasir Ahmed Soomro says the People's Party has historically been aligned with the US, in the period after Bhutto. He says the party appears to be confused internally right now. He also says the People's Party would stand with the public.[1]

References

  1. Pakistan's hybrid system has run out of foreign rent . Thought Behind Things , 2026-05-06.
Show the source passages (58 statements)
  1. Yasir Ahmed Soomro is described as a political analyst. sits down with brilliant political analyst Yasir Ahmed Soomro
  2. Yasir Ahmed Soomro has a YouTube channel. Yasir's YouTube channel
  3. He says companies depend on skills, workforce and cheap labour. Companies ka taluq hota hai skill development se, companies ka taluq hota hai workforce se, companies ka taluq hota hai sasti labor se
  4. He says the world moved into interest-based blocs rather than a bipolar order. Ek jo hum expect kar rahe the ki world could be a bipolar world, woh nahi ho payi. World became interest based blocks politics mein chali gayi
  5. He says Pakistan kept its options open and would not move against Iran. Pakistan ne bhi kaha ki bhai hum yeh raasta bhi khol ke rakhenge, hum yeh raasta bhi khol ke rakhenge. We cannot do the woh ho hi nahi sakta ki hum Iran ke against chale jayein
  6. He says Pakistan chose the Western bloc after independence. post independence toh Pakistan was the one jisne Western block ko chuna
  7. He says Pakistan was a front state in a major war during Zia-ul-Haq's time. Zia-ul-Haq sahab ke time pe ho jab you know ek bahut badi war thi jiske andar ek superpower potentially superpower dusri involved thi. Hum usmein ek front state the jo ke lad rahe the.
  8. He argues Pakistan's rent-seeking elite is sustained by US patronage, directly or indirectly through Middle Eastern states. Pakistan ke jo rent seeking elite pura infrastructure hai woh sustain hota hai either directly by the US patronage or indirectly historically by proxy of US states in the Middle East
  9. He says a view grew inside the establishment that it could not completely rely on America. ki humne ek establishment ke andar hi ek soch ubhar aayi thi ki we cannot completely rely on America kyunki bahut saare dhoke mil chuke the
  10. He says Pakistan gradually aligned with China as CPEC gained momentum from around 2016. Pakistan ne apne aap ko ahista ahista karke China ke saath align karna shuru kar diya aur woh China ka CPEC aur note karein bilkul usi time mein 2016 ke baad ek urooj pe aana shuru hua
  11. He describes a theory that the establishment kept a second option open by delaying CPEC. ek conspiracy chali thi ki Pakistan Pakistan mein establishment ne ek halka apna option open rakha. Woh option aise open rakha ki unhone CPEC ko delay karwa diya
  12. He says CPEC leadership moved to the military when Imran Khan came to office. Nawaz Sharif ke daur mein CPEC ki leadership was not military but when Imran Khan came the CPEC military leadership went to the military
  13. He says a Pakistani institution performs well by exporting its services abroad. Pakistan ka ek institution hai, ek idara hai jo ke achhe se perform kar raha hai, woh apne aap ko export, apni services ko export kar leta hai, that's fine
  14. He says relying only on exported services creates a sustainability problem. Problem yeh aati hai ke jab woh if that is the only thing that you are selling, then it becomes a problem, particularly sustainability ka question aa jata hai
  15. He says the number of foot soldiers no longer decides modern conflict. Aaj ki duniya ke conflict mein it doesn't matter ke aapke foot soldiers kitne hain
  16. He says money now matters most, since it can be turned into drones, missiles and infrastructure. What matters is ke aapke paas paisa kitna hai, jis paise ko aap eventually drones mein convert kar sakte hain, missiles mein convert kar sakte hain
  17. He says Saudi Arabia lost almost 48% of its revenue over the last two months. jis mein Saudi Arabia has unfortunately over the last two months, they have lost almost 48% of their revenue
  18. He says the Middle East does not have the money to sustain such excesses. the fact is the Middle East does not have the money to sustain your excesses
  19. He says a military and security structure cannot be sustained without economic growth, unless rent keeps being paid. The idea that I can sustain a military and security structure without allowing for sustainable economic growth is only possible jab tak ke aapko koi rent deta rahega
  20. He calls China the wild card when the situation is viewed through game theory. agar main isko game theory mein dekhun, woh wild card China hai
  21. He says China takes a very business-focused approach. China has a has a very business focused yaar mere se kaam karo, dhanda karo aur uh uh kaam karo, paise le jao wala wala attitude
  22. He says the Arabs rethought their approach after the 2011 Arab Spring and concluded they would have to open up. Jaise ke Arabs ne rethink kiya post 2011 jab Arab Spring aaya, toh unko samajh aa gayi ke yaar theek hai agar humne apne aap ko bhi chalana hai toh humein apne aap ko open up karna padega
  23. He feels Pakistan's power structures may not see any need to restructure. Woh restructuring unfortunately I feel like Pakistan mein power structures ko shayad idea hi nahi
  24. He says an economy cannot survive or grow in isolation. Yeh ho hi nahi sakta ke economy ko aap isolation mein survive kar sakao ya usko full badha sako, ho hi nahi sakta
  25. He says Balochistan will not function until its present problems are solved. Balochistan ki jo is waqt problems hain, woh kaise solve honge? Jab tak woh solve nahi honge, aapka nahi chal raha Balochistan
  26. He says the 27th amendment created a Chief of Defence Forces post. Ab 27th amendment hui, 27th amendment ke andar aapne uh Chief of Defence Forces ki post bana di
  27. He says a post such as Vice Chief of Army Staff, or a joint strategic command, was created and no appointment was made to it. Vice Chief of Army Staff ya aapne uh joint strategic command ki ek post create ki, aapne woh appointment hi nahi ki
  28. He says there is a three-star and a five-star position but no four-star, and nobody holds four-star rank. Like there is a three star and there is a five star, there is no four star and nobody is four star
  29. He is not hopeful that the system will gain a democratic element. if you ask me am I hopeful ke uske andar koi democracy ka element aa jayega? No
  30. He says the world is moving towards an authoritarian era. the world is inherently now going towards an authoritarian time
  31. He says a popular government inside the same hybrid system would leave the underlying structure unchanged. Aap usi hybrid mein ek popular government le aayein, sab khamosh ho jayenge, sab left right ho jayega. Jo aaj ek narrative wale dusri side pe chale jayenge, dusri narrative wale pehli side pe aa jayenge. The entirety of it will remain the same
  32. He thinks the way the system operates, its underlying DNA, may change. What I think will change however, um again which is why I am saying ke jo jo jo actual aapka DNA hai na of how the system operates, I think that might potentially change
  33. He says that if free money stops arriving from outside, those involved will fight among themselves internally to extract it. kyunke again aapka agar muft ka paisa bahar se nahi aa raha, toh aap internally aapas mein lad-lud ke woh paisa nikalne ki koshish karenge
  34. He says PMLN built its earlier politics on being anti-establishment. you have the PMLN jisne puri apni pichli politics ki thi anti-establishment ke upar
  35. He says a power structure of the People's Party once operated through the UAE as a proxy. People's Party ka ek power structure UAE ke by proxy chalta tha
  36. He says the People's Party has historically been aligned with the US, in the period after Bhutto. People's Party which has historically post Bhutto has historically been US aligned
  37. He says Benazir was returning under a deal with the US. Benazir bhi US uh uh ki deal ke tehat hi wapas aa rahi thin
  38. He says Bilawal has been aligned with the US. Bilawal has been very sort of uh uh uh US aligned us tarah se
  39. He says that whenever the People's Party travels, a whole camp is seen travelling. agar aap dekhein na to People's Party itself jab bhi woh jaati hai to woh aapko ek pura na unka camp jaata hua nazar aata hai
  40. He says the People's Party appears to be confused internally right now. So People's Party ka mujhe yeh hota hua nazar aa raha hai ke they are right now confused internally
  41. He says he does not think PMLN and the establishment are going away from each other right now, and that they will remain close. I don't think so PMLN and establishment are going away right now from any area. They are the going to remain close
  42. He describes a scenario in which a two-thirds majority could be had without needing the People's Party. taake hum 2/3 majority mein humein People's Party ki zaroorat na pade
  43. He says the People's Party would stand with the public. Kyunki People's Party khadi ho jaayegi awaam ke saath
  44. He says that if politics is to happen, PTI could carry it on the basis of Imran Khan, if he comes out. eventually siyasat agar honi hai to PTI kar sakti hai on the basis of Imran Khan agar woh nikalta hai
  45. He says hard power holders needed legitimacy, which they sought through a democratic structure. hard power walon ko legitimacy chahiye thi through uh uh democratic structure
  46. He says the hard power side's need for civilian structures has reduced, citing the India war and the Iran conflict. Jo hard power wale hain unki jo requirement hai for the civilian structure I feel like woh increasingly reduce hoti ja rahi hai. First because of the war with India. Second because of this recent conflict with Iran
  47. He says power has been used step by step to make PTI irrelevant. aapne power exert kar kar ahista ahista aapne pura chess board aise bana liya hua hai ke PTI irrelevant ho chuki hui hai
  48. He argues support for Imran Khan was more a reaction against traditional politicians than support for Khan himself. Imran Khan sahab ki support was less of Imran Khan ki support kyunki woh jis din power se hataye gaye hain usse pichle din tak itni support nahi thi. And it was more against all of these traditional politicians
  49. He says a large, performative accountability drive could win public support. To jab aap ek bada performative qisam ki accountability karenge to kahin na kahin aapko woh public se bhi support mil jaayegi
  50. He says any attempt at total control by the establishment will fail. agar establishment apna ya khud ya ek accountability ka ya ek total control ka koshish bhi karegi na that will fail
  51. He says no government has the strength to reject a Supreme Court order. Kisi government mein itni taqat nahi hoti sir ke woh Supreme Court ka order reject kar de
  52. He says the People's Party was needed because Imran Khan is very big. People's Party to isliye zaroorat padi kyunki aage se jo Imran Khan hai woh bahut bada hai
  53. He says the system runs on faces and their power, not on the system. nizam jo hai woh actually faces aur unki power pe chal raha hai woh system pe nahi chal raha
  54. He says the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court are at odds with each other. Supreme Court aur Federal Constitutional Court jo hai woh aapas mein aamne saamne hain
  55. He says new norms can form but that in the long run a new norm will not form. New norm ban sakti hain but in the long run new norm nahi banegi
  56. He sees a more problematic situation for Pakistan in the medium term than a solution. So, in the medium-term, we are going to see a more problematic situation rather than some kind of a solution
  57. He warns that Balochistan will be in bad turmoil, with so much exploitation that it could not be controlled. Aapka Balochistan will be a turmoil, bad turmoil. Dekh lijiyega, itna exploit hoga ke we can't be we won't be able to control it
  58. He says the expectation that America would be able to change the order in its favour was not fully realised. ki America would be able to rechange the order in favor of America. Woh woh puri nahi hui