They have played a dominant role in politics since before the countries gained independence from Britain, and they survive partly because of strong feudal, tribal and hierarchical traditions and hereditary social structures1. The poor and unsophisticated sections of the electorate look up to them as icons and achievers beyond their reach. Middle-class supporters respect their legacy and seem to subscribe to the principle of the ‘devil you know is better than one you don’t’, while the elite cling to them in order to share their prestige and powers of patronage, which is especially important in status-conscious and influence-peddling societies. In India, members of the Nehru-Gandhi family have resolutely clung to power at the top of the Congress party and India’s government for most of the years since Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first prime minister, but the country would probably have been better off without them. In Pakistan, the Bhutto family has led the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) since the 1970s, but has done little for the good of the country.
