Research Catalog

Title

Pakistan the garrison state : origins, evolution, consequences, 1947-2011 / Ishtiaq Ahmed.

Author

Ahmed, Ishtiaq, 1947-

Publication

Karachi : Oxford University Press, 2013.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xii, 494 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, color maps; 22 cm

Summary

"This study seeks to solve the following puzzle: In 1947, the Pakistan military was poorly trained and poorly armed. It also inherited highly vulnerable territory vis-a-vis the much bigger India, aggravated because of serious disputes with Afghanistan. Defence and Security were therefore issues that no Pakistan government, civil or military, could ignore. The military did not take part in politics directly until 1958, although it was called upon to restore order in 1953 in the Punjab province. Over the years, the military, or rather the Pakistan Army, continued to grow in power and influence and progressively became the most powerful institution. Moreover, it became an institution with de facto veto powers at its disposal to overrule other actors within society, including elected governments. Simultaneously, it began to acquire foreign patrons and donors willing to arm it as part of the Cold War competition (the United States), regional balance-of-power concerns (China) and ideological contestants for leadership over the Muslim world (Saudi Arabia, to contain Iranian influence). A perennial concern with defining the Islamic identity of Pakistan exacerbated by the Afghan jihad, resulted in the convergence of internal and external factors to produce the 'fortress of Islam' self-description that became current in the early twenty-first century. Over time, Pakistan succumbed to extremism and terrorism within and was accused of being involved in similar activities within the South Asian region and beyond. Such developments have been ruinous to Pakistan's economic and democratic development. The following questions are posed to shed further light: What is the relationship between the internal and external factors in explaining the rise of the military as the most powerful institution in Pakistan? ; What have been the consequences of such politics for the political and economic development in Pakistan? ; What are the future prospects for Pakistan?."--Publisher's website.

Subject

• Pakistan. Army > History
• Pakistan > Politics and government
• Pakistan > Armed Forces > Political activity

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 471-482) and index.

Contents

The Fortress of Islam: A Metaphor for a Garrison State -- British, American, and Soviet Attitudes towards the Pakistan Scheme -- The Colonial Roots of the Pakistan Army -- The First Kashmir War, 1947-1948 -- Wooing the Americans, and Civil-Military Relations -- The First Military Takeover -- The 1965 War -- Alienation between East and West Pakistan -- Civil War and Pakistan-India War of 1971 -- The Rise and Fall of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto -- General Zia Braces the Fortress of Islam -- The Afghan Jihad -- Civilian Governments and the Establishment -- Vicissitudes of the Musharraf Regime -- Transition to Democracy and Proliferation in Terrorism -- The United States Prepares for Exit -- The Gory End of Osama bin Laden -- Analysis and Conclusion.

Call Number

JFD 13-5918

ISBN

• 9780199066360
• 0199066361

LCCN

2013344097

OCLC

828640597

Author

Ahmed, Ishtiaq, 1947-

Title

Pakistan the garrison state : origins, evolution, consequences, 1947-2011 / Ishtiaq Ahmed.

Imprint

Karachi : Oxford University Press, 2013.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 471-482) and index.

Research Call Number

JFD 13-5918