This book explores the nature of the friction between the Muslim world and the West, looking at legitimate perceptions and grievances on both sides.

Arguing that “Islam versus the West” does not represent the arena of the next global ideological struggle, the authors examine specific issues — for example, the enlarged role of Islam in internal politics — that require careful handling to prevent the consolidation of states into opposing blocs.

This innovative volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the issues surrounding South Asia’s precarious security.

Going far beyond common considerations of border defense and regime, the contributors rigorously trace the social, economic, and ecological origins of present antagonisms. Although careful attention is paid to state military policies in the post-Cold War era — particularly as governments respond to a growing arms trade and nuclear proliferation — the authors also explore the far-reaching implications of environmental degradation and narcotics trafficking for security in the region, arguing that threats such as these transcend boundaries and local political regimes.

Exposing the fallacies of purely geopolitical, state-centric models for considering security issues, the authors highlight the complex historical interplay between state and unofficial actors. Concrete applications of their analysis to specific cases — like the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India — demonstrate the importance of confidence building measures and the inefficiency of “zero-sum” approaches to security.

Finally, through its dynamic model of security, this volume offers insights into the emerging significance of new regional identities and relations in the next millennium

Studies of elections in Pakistan are few in number. This is not surprising in view of the fact that not many elections at the local, provincial and national levels have been held in the country. Accordingly, few scholars have devoted serious or bipartisan attention to this subject. That vacuum has now been partly filled by Dr Waseem’s pioneering research into the 1993 elections, universally acknowledged as the fairest in Pakistani history.

This book discusses in detail the Moeen Qureshi govern-ment’s electoral mandate, all the major and minor political actors involved in the election campaign and its dynamics from start to finish. This is followed by a rigourous analysis of the provincial and national assembly election results, with particular attention devoted to factors which impinged on the final outcome, such as biradari, rural/urban divide, ethnicity, party organisations, candidate selection, slogans, electioneering style, etc. The dynamics of the formation of the Benazir Bhutto government and the bye-elections are analysed with great objectivity. The book also examines the necessity and possibility of electoral reforms in the post-election period.

The addition of a detailed section of appendices — the controversial 8th amendment to the constitution, manifestos of both the PPP and Muslim League (Nawaz) and statistics about the election results — has made this meticulous and painstaking effort an absolutely indispensable handbook for researchers, political analysts and laymen alike.

The problem of nationalities in Pakistan has caused great confusion, hatred and bloodshed over the last few years. Those who demand rights for their people, are branded as traitors and accused of conspiring to break up Pakistan. Similarly, those who disregard the existence of ethnic groups, cultural entities and nationalities other than their own are called “oppressors and chauvinists” by others.

Many observers believe that the national question is the most important and urgent problem facing Pakistan today. However, despite this realization, there is very little concrete analysis highlighting the real (as opposed to the perceived) problems that exist in the various regions in the country. A great deal of ‘research’ is impressionistic, speculative and conjectural, and results in intellectual and political confusion.

The purpose of this book is to provide empirical evidence about the real economic and political conditions in different regions of the country. It is hoped that the data and the opinions of the eminent scholars who have contributed to this collection will provoke debate to clarify existing confusions and provide a correct direction to theory and practice.

The case of Pakistan provides a stiking example of a new state that appeared to have achieved a high degree of national integration especially since political awareness had been focussed on the external differences with neighbouring India and the traumatic cost of separation. Its eventual breakup therefore came as a surprise to those who mistook the illusion for the reality. This book examines the political processes in new states such as Pakistan and Malaysia and sheds light on those aspects which enhance national integration or aggravate disintegrative tendencies. The author touches upon various dimensions of the modern nation-state problematic, especially the geographic and economic background to Partition and subsequent political developments under the martial law administrations of Gen Ayub Khan and Gen Yahya Khan which culminated in the creation of Bangla Desh.

This book sheds light on Pakistan’s relations with Britain from 1947 to 1951, with special reference to problems arising from the partition of the sub-continent. It centres on the British involvement at that time in certain conflicts, directly or indirectly, between India and Pakistan. The book is divided into five parts. The first part provides a very brief survey of Anglo-Muslim relations between 1857 and 1964. The second part, entitled ‘Some Partition Problems’, opens the floodgates to a round of rows between the Muslim League and the British in 1947. In the third part, the author focuses on Pak-Commonwealth relations in the context of the Kashmir Problem. He also discusses how and why both Pakistan and India have got bogged down in this quagmire. The fourth part is about the Government of Pakistan’s attitudes and Britain’s policies regarding defence arrangements within the Commonwealth. It also deals with some economic aspects of the Anglo-Pakistan equation at that time. The final part considers the so-called ‘Pathanistan Issue’ and details the historical record on the lukewarm relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan — the latter as a shadow behind the entangled events in the Tribal Areas while Pakistan continued to hold out an olive branch to Afghanistan.