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PRISON JOURNEY
“Finally, the author breaks his silence in public with this powerful memoir that is a severe indictment of a broken political and military system that led to the breakup of Pakistan and the descent into the politics of revenge and corruption.
Brigadier Ali represents a dying breed of brilliant and upright army officers who hold country above self and principle above pelf.
This book needs to be read and discussed by young officers in every regiment and headquarters of the Pakistan army. It is a paean to the “band of brothers” who dared to risk their careers for the sake of the country. Some were relatives of mine. Others I knew through my cousin, Farooq Nawaz Janjua, who too was at Attock Fort and who left this earth far too soon, after his release from prison”.
SHUJA NAWAZ
Is the Director of the South Asia Center at
the Atlantic Council, Washington. He is the author of
“Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within”
(Oxford University Press, 2008.)
ISBN: 9789694025735
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE DRY SIDE OF THE INDUS
They are unknown but they cover an area of more than one million hectares, which is close to 10% of all irrigated land in Pakistan: spate irrigation systems. Also called ‘rod kohi’ ‘sailaba’ or ‘nai’ in different parts of the country. Dependent on making the most out of short duration floods. They embody a unique and ancient culture of water sharing.
This book describes for the very first time these special systems and the societies they have given rise to.
ISBN: 9789694025711
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
HOWZZAT?!
Political satire is a staple of democracy. And this is satire at its brilliant best witty, pithy and hilarious. Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan’s fictional diary pushes the boundaries of censorship and intolerance. It is a must-read for all those interested in the endless drama, delusion, hypocrisy, ignorance, manipulation, ego mania and absurdity that is Pakistani power politics.
ISBN: 9789694025728
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
IS ISLAM SECULARIZABLE?
IS ISLAM SECULARIZABLE? Is the third and final volume of essays by Sadik al-Azm on the broad theme of secularism, fundamentalism and the meaning of Islam.
ISBN: 9789694025698
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
ON FUNDAMENTALISMS
ON FUNDAMENTALISMS is the first of three volumes of essays by Sadik al-Azm on the broad theme of secularism, fundamentalism and the meaning of Islam.
ISBN: 9789694025681
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
ISLAM: SUBMISSION AND DISOBEDIENCE
Islam: Submission and disobedience is the second of three volumes of essays by Sadik al-azm on the board theme of secularism, fundamentalism and the meaning of Islam.
ISBN: 9789694025674
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR BECAME A GLOBAL WAR ON TRIBAL ISLAM?
1n the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the United states declared war on terrorism. More than ten years later, the results are decidedly mixed. Here world-renowned author, diplomat, and scholar Akbar Ahmed reveals an important yet largely ignored result of this war: in many nations it has exacerbated the already broken relationship between central governments and the largely rural Muslim tribal societies on the peripheries of both Muslim and non-Muslim nations. The center and the periphery are engaged in a mutually destructive civil war across the globe, a conflict that has been intensified by the war on terror. Conflicts between governments and tribal societies predate the war on terror in many regions, from South Asia to the Middle East to North Africa, pitting those in the centers of power against those who live in the outlying provinces. Akbar Ahmed’s unique study demonstrates that this conflict between the center and the periphery has entered a new and dangerous stage with U.S. involvement after 9/n and the deployment of drones, in the hunt for al Qaeda, threatening thevery existence of many tribal societies American f irepowerand its vast anti-terror network have turned the war on terror into a global war on tribal Islam. And too often the victims are innocent children at school, women in their homes, workers simply trying to earn a living, and worshipers in their mosques. Battered by military attacks or drone strikes one day and suicide bombers the next, the tribes bemoan, “Everyday is like 9/11 for us.”
In The Thistle and the Drone, the third volume in Ahmed’s groundbreaking trilogy examining relations between America and the Muslim world, the author draws on forty case studies representing the global spanof Islam to demonstrate how the U.S. has become involved directly or indirectly in each of these societies. The study provides the social and historical context necessary to understand how both central governments and tribal societies have become embroiled in America’s war. Beginning with Waziristan and expanding to societies in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere, Ahmed offers a fresh approach to the conflicts studied and presents an unprecedented paradigm for understanding and winning the war on terror.
ISBN: 9789694025667
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
TREKKING GUIDE TO THE KARAKORAM AND HINDU KUSH OF NORTHERN PAKISTAN
Northern Pakistan – the ancient crossroads in the heart of Asia – is a land of secluded valleys and flower-strewn alpine pastures, surrounded by soaring peaks and shimmering glaciers. This mountain World is so remote that many of its numerous principalities, which inspired Marco Polo to call it ‘noisy with kingdoms’, remained independent until recently. Today, Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Chitral and Baltistan invite the visitor, whether on a jeep safari or trekking, to discover the grandeur of this mountain world and experience the hospitality of their peoples. Follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, of Chinese pilgrims seeking scriptures in the golden age of Buddhism, or of the British and Russian explorers, adventurers and spies of the legendary ‘Great Game’.
*Detailed how-to for individual trekkers, hiring guides and porters, buying food and equipment
* Descriptions of over 100 treks and Walks
*New full colour maps
*Interesting history and anecdotes
*Urdu, SHina, Balti, Khowar and Burushaski Glossaries
ISBN: 9789694025599
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
PAKISTAN FIGHTS
The book contains a collection of essays covering a wide range of issues pertaining to the dreadful threat of terrorism faced by Pakistan. The essays throw light on the strands of extremism obtaining in different strata of the society. It traces the genesis and spread of extremism and terrorism within and around the borders of Pakistan. Interconnectivity between extremism and terrorism has been explored The ugly turn of radicalism into terrorism and its concomitant miseries for the common man are the subject matter of an in-depth analysis on the cumulative losses and gains of the Pakistani society. The potent existential threat to the state of Pakistan by terrorism and through its use as an instrument by friends and foes alike is the revealing outcome of this collection. A composite set of suggestions have been made to sagaciously address the issue.
ISBN: 9789694025629
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
MAN IN THE HAT
Thebook presents a beautifully written account of the life story of Shoaib Sultan Khan, the man whose noble efforts made a difference to the lives of millions of poor in Pakistan and many other countries. It tracesthe journey of a man who for many decades, has served to lift people out of poverty and forge a way for development at the grassroots ….. The question arises as to how and why community members accepted the mobilization processes as an empowering and enriching experience The answer has been provided quite aptly in this Book This life story of Shoaib Khan is an invaluable read for all his followers, for development practitioners, for those whose lives have been transformed by community mobilization initiatives, and for the world which is inspired and grateful for his efforts
Jairam Ramesh
Minister of Rural Development, Government of India
I was glad to learn that a new book is being written about my friend Shoaib Sultan Khan and the work that he has been doing for many years for the people of Pakistan, and beyond Asia He was trusted by the people as a friend, without in any way patronizing them…… His plans were backed by international donors, of which I am glad to say that Britain was one, and endorsed by His Highness, the Aga Khan, who lent his name to what became the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, or AKRSP
Sir Nicholas Harrington KCMG, CVO
British Ambassador & HighCommissioner inIslamabad(1987-94)
No doubt, his inspiration came from the legendary Akhtar Hamid Khan, but his commitment to the field and for the marginalized came always from his own motivation…..He was able to convert sectarian rivalries into a healthy diversity worthy of respect and mustered the energy, that Pakistanis have in abundance, to build trust and an economic base in society….. His projects had solid financial support but remained modest in their approach and Style To see so many beautiful lives bloom into valuable assets for society is an amazing transformation. This book will now add value to all those who read the extraordinary achievements of development activists like Shoaib Sultan Khan
Asma Jahangir Advocate Supreme Court, Pakistan
ISBN: 9789694025636
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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REFORMING THE GOVERNMENT IN PAKISTAN
(I) The Commission shall review and make a clear, precise and implementable set of recommendations in respect of:
(a) the division of functions, responsibilities and accountabilities among the federal, provincial and local governments to avoid duplication, overlap and functional redundancy;
(b) the appropriate size of government organizations, at each tier of government including attached departments, autonomous bodies, public sector corporations and other entities in the light of the responsibilities and functions assigned to each;
(c) improving existing, institutional capacity through identification and meeting of skill gaps in the context of functions assigned to organizations of government at all levels;
(d) the redesigning of rules and core business processes at all levels of government to achieve functional efficiency, client orientation, cost reduction, transparency and a shift of focus from process compliance to output and outcomes;
(e) inter-linkages between; federal, provincial and local public services with a view to strengthening the federation through increased transaction efficiency and smoother conduct of business;
(f) public service design for all tiers of government that would include:
(i) the structure of the public services at all levels in view of functional reassignments;
(ii) recruitment, training, placement; promotion and career planning for the public services;
(iii) the development of human capital through training and higher education;
(iv) indicators for qualitative and quantitative measurement of performance for diverse professions and services;
(v) compensation packages and performance based incentives;
(vi) measures to fill capacity gaps in the interim;
(g) legislative requirement to implement the plan;
(h) resource requirement to implement the plan;
(i) a strategy to manage the proposed changes & transformation; and
(j) a monitoring mechanism to monitor the implementation of the approved recommendations.
(2) The review and recommendations of the Commission shall be made remaining within the ambit of the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
ISBN: 9789694025612
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
JINNAH: MYTH AND REALITY
This book is not a biography, it is the author’s view of why Jinnah hailed as the best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity ended up making a separate state in the subcontinent and what his views were on the future shape of Pakistan. Was Pakistan going to be a democratic state? What would be the role of religion in Pakistan? Was Pakistan the consequence of a millennial in stone or was it merely a counter-argument? The author attempts to answer these questions in the present work.
ISBN: 9789694025605
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE FUTURE OF PAKISTAN
“Because Pakistan is marinated in crisis, attention is riveted on the latest outrage, disaster, or calamity to occur in the country. The often-asked question following such events is whether they will push Pakistan over the edge, ‘edge’ being variously defined-at the minimum, as another military takeover; at the maximum, as the breakup of the state. The cover of this book, which features a puzzle, symbolizes the larger analytical problem: is Pakistan coming apart or is it being put together in some new order?” -STEPHEN P. COHEN in the Preface
“Pakistan has witnessed the banning of a number of militant groups and the arrests and targeted killings of key al Qaeda and related militants… The results have backfired-and continue to backfire-on the Pakistani army, through both colossal casualties in the tribal areas and direct attacks against regional and national security forces and military headquarters.” -LAILA BOKHARI
“There is no likelihood of a takeover of Pakistan by religious extremists. Pakistanis are a deeply religious people, but extremism is alien to their nature, and, as they have proven, their tolerance for the Taliban form of government is very low while their tolerance for suffering in the cause of ridding themselves of this scourge is very high.”-SHAUKAT QADIR
“If the military does seek full power over the next five years, it will probably be in response to domestic instability so palpable that military rule would be welcomed by most of the public.”-MARVIN G. WEINGAUM
“Too often people use the argument that tradition is largely responsible for Pakistan’s challenges in lowering its population growth rate. That is fallacious. The lack of priority given to female education, combined with the lack of priority given to developing sectors in the economy to support the economic empowerment of women, is fundamentally responsible.”-ANITA M. WEISS
“[Pakistan] can go either way: decline and fragment or emerge as a functioning democracy and middle-level economy. However, Pakistan’s turnaround is not possible without internal determination to address the issues that afflict the state and society and international support to meet those challenges.”-HASAN ASKARI RIZVI
ISBN: 9789694025575
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
STATE VANDALISM OF HISTORY IN PAKISTAN
The book is an account of:
How the state caused the loss and damaged heritage monuments and mounds.
How an opportunity of having a natural history museum in district Chakwal was missed.
How Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens were brought on the endangered world heritage list.
How the state caused the extinction of the rare Mughal hydraulic system.
How the rear wall of the Tomb of Jahangir was demolished to create a VVIP gate.
Why Harappa and some more archaeological sites and historical buildings failed to appear on the World Heritage List.
The state allocates Rs26 a day for the conservation, restoration and upkeep of heritage buildings.
A complete list of World Heritage and protected national monuments, international and national laws governing the conservation and protecting heritage monuments and sites and the role of UNESCO is also part of the content of the book.
ISBN: 9789694025544
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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EMPTY BELLIES, BROKEN DREAMS
EMPTY BELLIES, BROKEN DREAMS
In Pakistan, the face of food insecurity is an ugly one: Hungry mobs looting bakeries. Impoverished women and children trampled to death while scrambling for rice hand-outs. Food aid organizations blown up by extremists. Traumatized farmers and urban laborers, unable to feed their families, murdering their children or committing suicide. Destitute, hungry young men succumbing to the temptations of militancy. Approximately 80 million Pakistanis are hungry and 45 million malnourished. With drought-like conditions and serious water shortages routinely afflicting Pakistan, many farmers have been unable to produce enough crops to feed their families, much less to maintain their livelihoods. Other Pakistanis, displaced by military operations in the northwest and forced to leave standing harvests, have struggled to access food in teeming refugee camps or in the crowded homes of the relatives who have taken them in.
The agricultural sector has long been neglected in Pakistan. As a result, outdated agricultural equipment has hampered crop productivity; poorly maintained roads have inhibited efficient food transport; and inadequate storage facilities have turned fresh produce into rot. Yet Pakistan’s history of food insecurity is not merely one of shortages, but also one of poor resource management, with food supplies not getting to the mouths that need them the most. The horrific flooding of 2010 has exacerbated this problem many times over. The challenges of bringing better food security to Pakistan are immense. Yet the stakes could not be higher. By 2050, the country’s total population could reach 335 million—nearly double the current population. Today’s statistics about food insecurity in Pakistan may seem staggering. Yet unless action is taken immediately, these figures could appear modest by comparison in several decades’ time. This volume offers fresh perspectives, from a variety of viewpoints, about one of Pakistan’s most pressing challenges.
ISBN: 9789694025520
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
MILITARY, CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN PAKISTAN
Using a political economy framework, this book examines issues related to the process of democratization, decentralisation, governance and civil society in Pakistan, in an historical and contemporary context. The book highlights social and structural transitions and transformations in economy and society, and shows how the emergence of new socio-economic groups and classes often come up against older and more established structures and institutions, resulting in conflict, contradiction and compromise. It provides a broad historical perspective of such developments, especially during the regime of General Pervez Musharraf (1999-2008). As such it is amongst the few serious evaluations of the political economy of the Musharraf years. A theme which recurs in many of the chapters relates to why there is prolonged military rule in Pakistan and why democracy has been unable to find its footings in Pakistan. An examination of the political process of 2007 leading up to the 2008 general elections and an examination of the role of political actors and of civil society forms an important core theme in this collection.
Military, Civil Society and Democratization in Pakistan will interest a wide and diverse set of readers. Those interested in the economic, social and structural transformation of Pakistan’s society will find this book useful in understanding such trends and developments. Those who want to examine more typical and mainstream forms of democratization in a different, more dynamic, framework, looking at processes and how they unfold, will also benefit from this book.
ISBN: 9789694025469
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
Pakistan: Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation
Muslim societies are presumed to be stagnant and resistant to change. Yet the reality is quite the contrary. Pakistan is a pivotal Muslim nation. It exemplifies the scope and direction of social change in a Muslim society. This book shows how modernization as well as Islamization are simultaneously acting as processes of social transformation in Pakistan, along with population growth, urbanization and economic development. It offers an insightful view into Pakistan, exploring the wide range of ethnic groups, the countryside and cities, religion and community, and popular culture and national identity. It concludes by discussing likely future social developments in Pakistan, engaging students and academics interested in Pakistan and multiculturalism. Overall, this book is a comprehensive examination of social and cultural forces in wanting to understand contemporary Pakistan and the Muslim world.
ISBN: 9789694025452
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
ACHA MUSALMAN BURA MUSALMAN
In this brilliant look at the rise of political Islam, the distinguished political scientist and anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani brings his expertise and insight to bear on a question many Americans have been asking since 9/11: how did this happen?
Mamdani dispels the idea of ‘good’ (secular, Westernized) and ‘bad’ (premodern, fanatical) Muslims, pointing out that these judgments refer to political rather than cultural or religious identities. The presumption that there are ‘good’ Muslims readily available to be split off from ‘bad’ Muslims masks a failure to make a political analysis of our times. This book argues that political Islam emerged as the result of a modern encounter with Western power, and that the terrorist movement at the center of Islamist politics is an even more recent phenomenon, one that followed America’s embrace of proxy war after its defeat in Vietnam. Mamdani writes with great insight about the Reagan years, showing America’s embrace of the highly ideological politics of ‘good’ against ‘evil’. Identifying militant nationalist governments as Soviet proxies in countries such as Nicaragua and Afghanistan, the Reagan administration readily backed terrorist movements, hailing them as the ‘moral equivalents’ of America’s Founding Fathers. The era of proxy wars has come to an end with the invasion of Iraq. And there, as in Vietnam, America will need to recognize that it is not fighting terrorism but nationalism, a battle that cannot be won by occupation.
‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim’ is a provocative and important book that will profoundly change our understanding both of Islamist politics and the way America is perceived in the world today.
ISBN: 9789694025537
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SHAHEEN KI PERVAAZ
Flight of the Falcon is about the spectacular episodes, trials and tribulations I had to face during my 28 years in the Pakistan Air Force. There is more in my story as it traverses through Pakistan’s misfortunes soon after the death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Au Jinnah. It begins with my encounter with the father of the nation, his unceremonious death followed by the murder of his legacy of unity. Ayub Khan’s mid-night coup was a violation of the role the Quaid-e-Azam had bequeathed on the armed forces. The domino effect of dictatorial rule by unprofessional generals with unflattering soldiering history and self seeking corrupt politicians has finally brought Pakistan to its knees. No lessons were learnt and history keeps punishing us. What a legacy for our children to inherit, for which the nation continues to pay a price. What will it take to change our course?
Every year the 1965 war is celebrated remorselessly to keep under wraps the failures of our leadership at the time. I feel cheated and enraged at the loss of the many gallant men who were martyred believing they were fighting for a sacred cause. The 1971 war was a corollary to the 1965 war and the Kargil conflict followed in the same vein. Shallow personal interests were projected as national interests by dictators. All these wars and conflicts proved to be catastrophic for the economy and security of Pakistan. Were these conflicts avoidable? If not, why were they not planned and directed with professional dexterity? Why were no lessons learnt from each disaster? Such questions have hardly been addressed candidly from fear of retribution by the powers that be.
Unfortunately, the armed forces have become punching bags for all the ills of the country. These are deceptive tactics to deflect our top leadership’s failures and corruption. The combat crews from the army, navy and especially the PAF have always fought with indomitable courage and sacrificed lives to save what was and is left of Pakistan. They continue to perform their duty to the nation every minute of the day and night as you and go about our daily lives.Who pushed us into the devastation of wars and what was the outcome is a moot point and will be the focus of my book. It is time that the history of our wars is re-written and the truth is told. The lessons need to be brought out for Pakistan’s survival. I feel it should be my legacy to leave behind a detailed account of not just the battles in which I fought, but the circumstances which led to these senseless conflicts and the leaders responsible for perpetrating them. In the end, the truth shall prevail.
ISBN: 9789694025445
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
Hydro Politics and Water Wars in South Asia
Water is an important input to irrigated agriculture. In Pakistan unfortunately, it is fast becoming a diminishing resource due to many reasons including global warming. To meet present and future requirements, water should be conserved in the country at as many places as possible. However, politics of water is not allowing it to happen.
Hydro-Politics in Indus River Basin by Iqtidar H. Siddiqui is a comprehensive commentary on the management and utilization of Indus River system waters both internationally and domestically and describes the Hydro-Political forces, which do not permit advancement in water sector in the country.
The book infect gives a ‘wake-up call’ to the country in view of diminishing water resources, expected ‘water disaster’ due to climate change and hydro-political forces in the country.
ISBN: 9789694025438
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
ISLANDS OF HOPE
In the words of Dr Akther Hameed Khan:
Idealism
I hope that somehow, idealism is reborn… Idealists don’t live for their own benefit, but want to serve others. Where you have idealism, you have God’s blessings. Where you have good intentions, you have God’s blessings. When you work for others and have good intentions, progress is inevitable. Choose to serve God by doing good, honest work for other people rather than furthering malice by fulfilling your own selfish ambitions and greed.
Sacrifice and hard work
A nation has to be ready to work hard and make sacrifices if it wants to progress. The basic principle of development was summed up by Winston Churchill in his address to the British people, when he said: “I have nothing to promise you except blood, tears and sweat.” This is what our politicians should be telling us because our country is in a very precarious state. Instead they make us false promises…
Role of the government
The role of the people is more important than the role of the government. When Churchill was retired, people told him “you were a lion”. He replied: “No, I was not the lion. It was the nation that had the lion’s heart. My task was only to bring out the roar”. The government can do the big works – treatment plants, nullahs for sewerage, roads etc. – the rest the people will have to do themselves. And they should not take donor money for this work, either.
Persistence
There is only one way of working amongst the people and that is persistence. It is like a drop of water continuously falling on a stone and making a dent in it. People will cooperate whenever there is a meaningful activity…
NGOs can’t reform the government
NGOs can’t change the government, people can. There is a saying: “Our angels reflect the nature of our spirit”. After all, why is there not as much stealing going on in the government in a country like the USA? It is not that the American government officials are inherently more honest – it is just that the people there won’t let them steal and get away it. They will even kick out their president if he does something wrong. People will fix the government, not the NGOs.
Institutions
We have the same institutions as other countries – we also have universities, national airlines etc. Lyallpur Agriculture University and Chandigarh University were established at the same time – but look at the difference between them today. We also have the same parliamentary system as England, but their system works. It is not the question of the structure of institutions – it is of the people who run them. It is the people who have ruined the institutions.
Reward
If you expect material reward from this kind of work, you will fail. Don’t waste money either on unnecessary expenses. But if your approach is that of building an ashram or khanqua where one has to live simply and bear much suffering, but one is still determined not to lose hope, then you will succeed. You will attain your goals.
ISBN: 9789694025421
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
CUTTING EDGE PAF
“Cutting Edge” is Air Chief Marshal M Anwar Shamim’s account of experiences in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). He writes from the vantage point of a former head of the service. The interesting aspect is that the account coincides with the emergence of Pakistan on world map as an independent entity. This makes the author’s story synonymous with the development of the nascent state. PAF is one national institution that can rightly claim an unblemished past, present and future. The author gives credit to the founding fathers for their visionary leadership and highlights the contributions of all key players who were instrumental in shaping the destiny of the aerial defenders. It is a story as much of equipment as it is of people; rather it presents a blending of the two. The author takes pride where pride is due but without any rancour or ill feeling. Herein we get to know ACM Shamim as a man and as a professional officer. Anecdotal in structure, the narrative is full of facts and we have a book available for consultation and study. It is a must-read for all.
ISBN: 9789694025407
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN PAKISTAN
The paradox of General Musharrafs years in power was that he was a “liberal” ruler under whom Pakistan became a religious- extremist society. He advocated ‘enlightened moderation’ but was rebuffed by a people most in need of enlightenment and moderation. Terrorism flourished under him in the shape of new religious attitudes and as a reaction to his largely successful foreign policy that included cooperation with the United States in the war against terrorism and normalization of relations with India after his ‘Kargil blunder’ in 1999. He was probably the most creative handler of the Kashmir issue since independence but was unable or unwilling to counteract the jihadi organizations intent on undermining his governance. The surge of sectarian violence during his time was in no small measure owed to his use of ambivalence as a tool of policy. It is therefore an irony that violence and terrorism escalated in defiance of his liberal mission statement. This 1)00k records tins phenomenon and examines the mainsprings of General Musharrafs failure as a ruler. It thus also foreshadows and explains the chaos that has engulfed Pakistan’s resumed democracy after 2008.
ISBN: 9789694025391
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN PAKISTAN
General Musharraf was not as disliked in Pakistan in 1999, when he seized power, as he was in 2008 when he lost it. Before we bur him in history as vet another autocratic ruler, it is important to go back and see what he did right together with much that he did wrong. In some ways he was go 0(1 for Pakistan within the dictatorial paradigm of Pakistan because he was a ‘liberal’ ruler after a decade of General Zia ul Haq’s ‘religious’ rule. Pakistan has buried Zia in its archives of ‘dismissed’ dictators but remains conscious of the fact that much of what he imposed as Islamisation has been internalized by Pakistani society. Should this also be true of General Musharraf? Have we internalized some of the liberalisation that lie imposed on us This book makes a fair assessment of his foreign policy which was, by and large, successful, and his tolerance of women and the minorities, without sparing him for failing in some of the liberal reforms lie had undertaken, and his weakness vis-à-vis the jihadi organizations and the army he headed.
ISBN: 9789694025384
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
CALLING A SPADE A SPADE
His selected newspaper columns will make it plain that open mindedness coupled with a deep understanding of Pakistani history was all Minoo needed to soar above many of his compatriots in the realm of ideas and principles.
ISBN: 9789694025339
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
DARINDAY KI PEHCHAAN
The Shape of the Beast is our world laid bare, with great courage, passion and eloquence, by a mind that has engaged unhesitatingly with its changing realities, often anticipating the way things have moved in the last decade. In the fourteen interviews collected here, conducted between January 2001 and March 2008, Arundhati Roy examines the nature of state and corporate power as it has emerged during this period, and the shape that resistance movements are taking. As she speaks, among other things, about people displaced by dams and industry, the genocide in Gujarat, Maoist rebels, the war in Kashmir and the global War on Terror, she raises fundamental questions about democracy, justice and non-violent protest. Unabashedly political, this is also a deeply personal collection. Through the conversations, Arundhati talks about the necessity of taking a stand, as also the dilemma of guarding the private space necessary for writing in a world that demands urgent, unequivocal intervention. And in the final interview, she discusses with uncommon candour her ambiguous feelings about success and both the pressures and the freedom that come with it.
ISBN: 9789694025360
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
FLIGHT OF THE FALCON
Flight of the Falcon is about the spectacular episodes, trials and tribulations I had to face during my 28 years in the Pakistan Air Force. There is more in my story as it traverses through Pakistan’s misfortunes soon after the death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Au Jinnah. It begins with my encounter with the father of the nation, his unceremonious death followed by the murder of his legacy of unity. Ayub Khan’s mid-night coup was a violation of the role the Quaid-e-Azam had bequeathed on the armed forces. The domino effect of dictatorial rule by unprofessional generals with unflattering soldiering history and self seeking corrupt politicians has finally brought Pakistan to its knees. No lessons were learnt and history keeps punishing us. What a legacy for our children to inherit, for which the nation continues to pay a price. What will it take to change our course?
Every year the 1965 war is celebrated remorselessly to keep under wraps the failures of our leadership at the time. I feel cheated and enraged at the loss of the many gallant men who were martyred believing they were fighting for a sacred cause. The 1971 war was a corollary to the 1965 war and the Kargil conflict followed in the same vein. Shallow personal interests were projected as national interests by dictators. All these wars and conflicts proved to be catastrophic for the economy and security of Pakistan. Were these conflicts avoidable? If not, why were they not planned and directed with professional dexterity? Why were no lessons learnt from each disaster? Such questions have hardly been addressed candidly from fear of retribution by the powers that be.
Unfortunately, the armed forces have become punching bags for all the ills of the country. These are deceptive tactics to deflect our top leadership’s failures and corruption. The combat crews from the army, navy and especially the PAF have always fought with indomitable courage and sacrificed lives to save what was and is left of Pakistan. They continue to perform their duty to the nation every minute of the day and night as you and go about our daily lives.Who pushed us into the devastation of wars and what was the outcome is a moot point and will be the focus of my book. It is time that the history of our wars is re-written and the truth is told. The lessons need to be brought out for Pakistan’s survival. I feel it should be my legacy to leave behind a detailed account of not just the battles in which I fought, but the circumstances which led to these senseless conflicts and the leaders responsible for perpetrating them. In the end, the truth shall prevail.
ISBN: 9789694025261
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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POEMS BY FAIZ
OTHER TITLES ON FAIZ FROM VANGUARD
Faiz Ahmad Faiz URDU POET OF SOCIAL REALISM by ESTELLE DRYLAND The task of the translator of works composed in a language unrelated to his own is to capture at least an echo of the original, adapting and absorbing it into his own language while effectively adhering to the laws of the pre-existing text. In this work, an attempt has been made to capture and appropriate the spirit of a different land and a different language with the aim of reproducing this spirit in a form which will effectively reveal the rich cultural history of that land, and more specifically of Urdu poetry to Australian and New Zealand readers. The question may well be posed: how is it possible for a female citizen of an ostensibly secular, multi-cultural country which, in its own particular complexity, blends a forty thousand year history of aboriginal inhabitants with a two hundred year history of European settlement, to attempt to interpret the work of a male poet, born against the background of a turbulent, polytheistic, oppressive, imperialist-dominated Indian subcontinent, and whose orientation was to be dislocated following Partition? The answer is believed by the author to lie in the transcendence of social and geographical limitations by a commonness of human experience – related instincts which cut across cultural boundaries, plus in some form of intellectual affinity with the poet — in this case Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
An Introduction to the Poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz by IMDAD HUSAIN FAIZ AHMED FAIZ (1911-1984), poet, tPacher, editor, freedom- fighter, dramatist, critic, progressive writer and Lenin Peace Prize recipient, was the author of eight collections of poems in Urdu and is considered one of the great poets of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. He was no mere ‘dreamer of dreams’. Great poets like Faiz are warriors and act as the conscience their times. Countries have frontiers but the war against slavery and exploitation has no frontier. Faiz espoused the cause of freedom in Pakistan, and for the peoples of the world. He ranks with poets like Pablo Neruda, Nizam Hikmat and Louis Aragon. His poetry, rich with the classical blood of Ghalib and lqbal, acquired a characteristic hue and he excelled in both the nazm and ghazal form, blazing a trail of love and revolution. This is the first English language study to be published anywhere of the poetry of Faiz and a critical appreciation of his life and times.
The L1e and Works of Saadat Hassan Manto
ANOTHER LONELY VOICE by LESLIE FLEMMING, TAHIRA NAQVI This is the first full-length study of the life and works of Manto to appear in the thirty years since his death. Considering that he was amongst the foremost of the Urdu short story writers associated with the Progressive Writers Movement as well as a powerful influence on the current generation of Urdu writers, it was time indeed to remedy this literary situation.
ISBN: W4005
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
KASHMIRIYAT
The two unique and memorable events that South Asia Foundation (SAF) organized in Srinagar to commemorate the Bhakti-Sufi-Rishi culture of Kashmiriyat, featured a jointly held India/Pakistan music concert Junoon and the Singhs, and an unprecedented exhibition of paintings by South Asian women artists.
Madanjeet Singh narrates an account of these events, providing insights into age-old links between the music and art of South Asia and the pluralist culture and legacy of Kashmiriyat.
At the inaugural ceremony of the Institute of Kashmir Studies on 26 May 2008, Madanjeet Singh presented President Pratibha Patil with a copy of his book, This My People, to which Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru handwrote a preface. shortly after India’s Partition in 1947. Published in 1989, its several language editions were reviewed and acclaimed worldwide. The French weekly L’Express wrote a three-page article and the eminent art critic of The International Herald Tribune, Souren Melikian called it an ‘astonishing book of photographs (see cover image of Aasi), a mental journey through the India Madanjeet loves so much’. The famous film producer, Ismail Merchant, praised the aesthetic merits and historical value of the book’ in a full-page review published in The New York Times.
ISBN: 9789694025346
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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EK AAM AADMI KA TASAWAR-E-SALTANAT
Just in time for the elections, Arundhati Roy offers us this lucid briefing on what the Bush administration really means when it talks about compassionate conservativism and the war on terror. Roy has characteristic fun in these essays, skewering the hypocrisy of the more-democratic-than-thou clan. But above all, she aims to remind us that we hold the essence of power and the foundation of genuine democracy-the power of the people to counter their self-appointed leaders’ tyranny.
First delivered as fiery speeches to sold-out crowds, together these essays are a call to arms against the apocalyptic apparatus of the American empire. Focusing on the disastrous US occupation of Iraq, Roy urges us to recognize-and apply-the scope of our power, exhorting US dockworkers to refuse to load materials war-bound, reservists to reject their call-ups, activists to organize boycotts of Halliburton, and citizens of other nations to collectively resist being deputized as janitor-soldiers to clear away the detritus of the US invasion.
Roy’s Guide to Empire also offers us sharp theoretical tools for understanding the New American Empire-a dangerous paradigm, Roy argues here, that is entirely distinct from the imperialism of the British or even the New World Order of George Bush, the elder. She examines how resistance movements build power, using examples of nonviolent organizing in South Africa, India, and the United States. Deftly drawing the thread through ostensibly disconnected issues and arenas, Roy pays particular attention to the parallels between globalization in India, the devastation in Iraq, and the deplorable conditions many African Americans, in particular, must still confront.
With Roy as our guide, we may not be able to relax from the Sisyphean task of stopping the U.S. juggernaut, but at least we are assured that the struggle for global justice is fortified by Roy’s hard-edged brilliance.
ISBN: 9789694025285
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
Lamahdood Insaaf ka Algebra
A few weeks after India detonated a thermonuclear device in 1998, Arundhati Roy wrote ‘The End of Imagination’. The essay attracted worldwide attention as the voice of a brilliant Indian writer speaking out with clarity and conscience against nuclear weapons. Over the next three and a half years, she wrote a series of political essays on a diverse range of momentous subjects: from the illusory benefits of big dams, to the downside of corporate globalization and the US Government’s war against terror. First published in 2001, The Algebra of Infinite Justice brings together all of Arundhati Roy’s political writings so far. This revised paperback edition includes two new essays, written in early 2002: ‘Democracy: Who’s She When She’s at Home’, that examines the horrific communal violence in Gujarat, and ‘War Talk: Summer Games with Nuclear Bombs’, about the threat of nuclear war in the Subcontinent.
ISBN: 9789694025292
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
Checkbook Aur Cruise Missile
Whether discussing her childhood or the problems of translation in a multilingual society, Roy and Barsamian, the producer and host of Alternative Radio, engage in a lively and accessible manner. Speaking candidly and casually, Roy describes her participation in a demonstration against the Indian dam program as “absolutely fantastic”. She jokes that her Supreme Court charge for “corrupting public morality” – in the case of her novel The God of Small Things – should have been changed to “further corrupting public morality.” She calls on her training as an architect to explain what she means by the “physics of power”. Like a house of cards, she argues that “unfettered power…cannot go berserk like this and expect to hold it all together.”Roy has been acclaimed for her courage (Salman Rushdie) and her eloquence (Kirkus Reviews), and her writing has been described as “a banquet for the senses” (Newsweek). She has found a readership among fiction enthusiasts and political activists. The Chequebook and the Cruise Missile captures Roy speaking one-on-one to her audience, revealing her intense and wide-ranging intellect, her very personal voice, and her opinion on momentous political events.Arundhati Roy’s novel The God of Small Things was awarded the Booker Prize in 1997. She is the recipient of the 2002 Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom.
ISBN: 9789694025278
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
TRIBAL FIGHTING IN NWFP
PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SOLDIERING DURING THE BRITISH ERA OF THE INDIAN ARMY INCLUDES TIPS ON FIGHTING AN INSURGENT ENEMY, THE PRINCIPLES OF SECURITY IN MOUNTAIN WARFARE AND TACTICS FOR HARD FIGHTING REVEALS INTERESTING PARALLELS WITH THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ‘WAR ON TERROR’
In May 1919 the new Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan-convinced that the British Empire was on the brink of collapse-proclaimed a jihad against Britain in the hope the could seize the old Afghan provinces west of the River Indus and humiliate his old enemy. The war began with the invasion of the tribal belt, in what is today Pakistan, where Amanullah expected to rouse all the tribes against the British. British-Indian forces retaliated by fighting their way across the mountains and back up the Khyber Pass. For the sake of a better peace, the third Afghan War ended with Britain granting autonomy in foreign affairs to the Afghans in the Treaty of Rawalpindi. Whilst air power had played a significant part in the British success, the Afghans had issued a stark reminder that they were formidable adversaries.
General Sir Andrew Skeen was one on Britain’s most experienced frontier warfare officers and spent the years 1919-1920 fighting the Mahsuds and Waziris, the most notorious of all cross border groups. The majority of troops under his command were initially wholly inexperienced and barely fit for frontier service. Lessons in imperial Rule (first published in 1932 under the title passing it on) was written with a view to imparting sound, practical advice on fighting in this region for future generations.
The lesson explained include the various aspects of work in establishing new camps, securing perimeters, moving platoons, setting up watching posts, methods foraging and demolition, and the emergency occupation of villages. His work became and unofficial textbook and was widely read in Britain and India. Despite the later introduction of armored cars, light tanks and aircraft, it retains much of its value and it was recently reissued to the Pakistan army.
Britain’s return to Afghanistan in 2001 alongside Coalition forces, and the Pakistan Army fighting in Wazirstan, conjures inescapable parallels with earlier conflicts, and the Third Afghan War in particular. Remarkably many of the ideas and principles Skeen identified still hold true. Now as then, the arena of fighting was tough and unforgiving. The Afghans and Pashtuns have proved themselves incredibly resourceful, skilled and resolute, demanding the very best expertise, tactics and dedication from the Coalition troops. This book offers an evocative insight into the period and serves as a timely reminder of Britain’s historic association with the North West Frontier and Afghanistan.
ISBN: 9789694025230
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
KASHMIR
Uniquely representing all sides in the conflict over Kashmir, this innovative new book provides a forum for discussion not only of existing proposals for ending the conflict, but also of possible new paths toward settlement. Contributors from India, Pakistan, and Kashmir explore the national and sub national dimensions of the ongoing hostilities, the role of the international community, and future prospects. The result is an informed overview of the present state of affairs—and a realistic examination of the potential for peaceful resolution.
ISBN: 9789694025254
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
MY KASHMIR
The picturesque Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, for centuries a model of harmony and coexistence, has been ravaged by conflict for sixty years, caught in a tug-of-war between historical rivals India and Pakistan. Now that both nations are nuclear powers, some see the Kashmir issue as a flash point for what could become a nuclear war.
In My Kashmir, Wajahat Habibullah lays out the intricate web of issues at the root of the conflict: ethnicity, religion, national identity, friction between national and local government, and territory. In an account that is equal parts history and memoir, he examines the complicating factors: the Indian government’s missteps, the greed of the entrenched Kashmir middle-class elites, and the religious politics and their all-too-familiar polarizing consequences.
Unlike many other who have written on the subject, Habibullah gives even-handed treatment to both Indian and Pakistani perspectives, though he rightly keeps the Kashmiri people themselves at center stage, for their needs and desires will be pivotal to any real solution. Now, he says, despite the history of bloodshed and betrayals, the possibility for lasting peace is greater than ever before.
ISBN: 9789694025247
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS