Bangladesh and Pakistan: Flirting with Failure in South Asia (Columbia/Hurst) An active member of the U. S. Foreign Service until 2001, William B. Milam possesses an exhaustive knowledge of the history and culture of Bangladesh and Pakistan. His insightful study expresses a profound empathy for both countries and, with the death of Benazir Bhutto and the decline of Pervez Musharraf, could not be a timelier contribution to current debates concerning the stability of the region. Since 1971, Pakistan has evolved into a praetorian state plagued by army interventions and corrupt civilian governments. Nevertheless, the tunnel-vision of General Musharraf triggered a political implosion in 2007, and widespread dismay over the assassination of…. Read more

Across the Line of Control: Inside Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (Columbia/Hurst) Since the partition of the Asian subcontinent in 1947, conflict has raged in Kashmir, and the clash between India and Pakistan over this coveted territory has led to the emergence of Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered areas. While the social and political conditions in the former have been widely discussed, even experts lack critical knowledge of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir (PAJK), particularly its political, cultural, and social realities.Luv Puri provides sorely-needed analysis of the crucial pre-independence social and political processes that polarized the state as well as the violence that devastated the region during…. Read more

Pakistan Beyond the Crisis State (Columbia/Hurst) Bringing together an extraordinary array of experts, including renowned Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, Pakistani American sociologist and historian Ayesha Jalal, and Zahid Hussain, author of several books on Islamic militancy in Pakistan, Pakistan: Beyond the “Crisis State” takes unique stock of the Islamic republic’s fundamental strengths and weaknesses. Presenting a picture of the nation as understood by its people, this anthology assesses the political, economic, social, and foreign policies of an embattled government and its institutional challenges. Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic studies at American University, and Munir Akram, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the…. Read more

Frontier of Faith: Islam in the Indo-Afghan Borderland (Columbia/Hurst) Frontier of Faith examines the history of Islam-especially that of local mullahs, or Muslim clerics-in the North-West Frontier. A largely autonomous zone straddling the boundary of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Tribal Areas was established as a strategic buffer zone for British India, and the resulting autonomy allowed local mullahs to assume roles of tremendous power. After Partition in 1947, the Tribal Areas maintained its status as an autonomous region, and for the next fifty years the mullahs supported armed mobilizations in exchange for protection of their vested interests in regional freedom. Consequently the Frontier has become the hinterland of…. Read more

Making Sense of Pakistan (Columbia/Hurst) ISBN13: 9780231149624Condition: NewNotes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Once a model of Muslim enlightenment, Pakistan is now facing a lethal Islamist threat. Many believe this is due to Pakistan’s partnership with the United States, while others see it as the consequence of an authoritarian rule that has marginalized liberal opinion while creating inroads for the religious right.Farzana Shaikh argues that though external influences and domestic politics have unquestionably shaped Pakistan, an uncertainty about the meaning of Pakistan and the significance of “being…. Read more