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REASON WOUNDED
₨ 50The best ‘Indian’ book of the year” Morning Echo Magazine.
“One of the Ten Best Books Of The Year – Illustrated Weekly of India.
“What is remarkable about REASON WOUNDED is the glimpse it gives of the plight of those on the wrong side of the ruling establishment and the light it sheds on the feudal attitudes of leading members of the elite…. – “Indian Express”
ISBN: Z1457 – Hardback
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS
ISBN: Z1457
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
REFORMING THE GOVERNMENT IN PAKISTAN
₨ 1,495(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 -
REGIONAL IMBALANCES & THE NATIONAL QUESTION IN PAKISTAN
₨ 895The 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.
ISBN: 9694020611
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RELIGION, LAND AND POLITICS IN PAKISTAN
₨ 1,795This is the first authoritative book on the phenomenon of piri-muridi in Pakistan. The author investigates the subject in the perspectives of history, religion. society, politics and economy. He asks vital questions about the nature. working and consequences of a principal aspect of folk religion and provides stimulating answers. The book breaks new ground in the study of an institution that is ruining the national economy, encouraging political corruption and dictatorship, defacing Islam and demoralizing society. Its great virtue lies in the fact it is a work of research as much as it is of analysis and reflection. Specifically. the author discusses the role of the pir, the roots and consequences of piri-muridi, the predicament of the situation and the straight and narrow path of the relationship. A list of some major sufis and thinkers, including the principal urses, is appended, including notes on the sufi saints of South Asia.
ISBN: 9789694026275
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN PAKISTAN
₨ 995The 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 -
REMEMBERING SOME GREAT MEN
₨ 1,495In this final volume of his selected shorter works Professor AM recalls some prominent personalities whom he has intimately known or studied in the course of his research. In the first group, he pays his double tribute to Prof. Sirajuddin and his wife Urmila, recounts Chaudhri Zalarulla Khan’s services to Muslim India and Pakistan, thanks his two British friends, the Barratts, and brings out the genius of Professor Abdus Salam. In the second group, he recounts the achievements of Lord Wavell, Napoleon, Sayyid Ameer Ali, Jinnah, the Aga Khan, Shah Waliullah and lqbal. A critical essay on Rudyard Kipling assesses his place in the British imperial literature of India. A long well-researched paper on Jamaluddin “Afghani” explodes the many myths still surrounding the man. A trenchant lecture on Choudhri Rahmat Ali reminds us how Pakistani intellectuals, men of letters and historians continue to either ignore him or blacken his character. Every reader will find in this pot-pourri something to interest, move, fascinate, remind or instruct him. Men make history, literature and culture, and thus draw the contours of an age. This book presents a stimulating and fascinating biographical peep-show of past events and human affairs.
ISBN: 9694023636
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RESOURCE MOBILISATION AND EXPENDITURE PLANNING: IN THE PROVINCES OF PA
₨ 895The book is based on the proceedings and papers of a conference held in Lahore in April 1993. The conference was sponsored by the Canadian International development Agency (CIDA) and organised by the Finance Department, Government of Punjab.
The basic conclusion of the conference was the realisation that, in contrast to the federal government, sub-national governments have generally been neglected in Pakistan even though they are responsible for the delivery of basic social and economic services like education, health, water supply and sanitation, roads, irrigation, etc., and collectively account for about two thirds of the public expenditure on social services in the country.
ISBN: 9694022835
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
REVELATION & REVOLUTION IN ISLAM
₨ 295ISBN: 9780367672287 – Hardback
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE
ISBN: 9694024137
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
ROOTS OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN PAKISTAN AND INDIA
₨ 1,495With a rare mastery of history, religions, and depth psychology, Dr. Kamran Ahmad leads us through the Journey of the Soul in Heer, Ranjha, discovering what may be the only way to find harmony in the subcontinent. He shows how “fundamentalist” and “leftist secularist” discourses are alien to this region, but by recovering the Lost Feminine, there is hope for a truly authentic, indigenous means of peaceful interaction. Dr. Kamran Ahmad moves effortlessly and insightfully between the outer world of histories, religious discourses, conquerors and leaders and the inner world of the psyche. He shows how the inner world brings about politics, conflicts, and struggles in the outer world. Movements, activism, and efforts to find ways to co exist in the subcontinent; no matter how noble in intent, will fail if they neglect the psychological needs of individuals. This book has prepared the way for change that is sustainable, indigenous, and authentic.
ISBN: 9789694025193
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RURAL – URBAN MIGRATION IN PAKISTAN
₨ 200In many third world countries the astounding rate of urbanization and the related problems of housing and employment are caused not only by natural urban increase but by an enormous influx of migrants as well. Pakistan is no exception, and Karachi demonstrates the magnitude of these problems rather well. This case study of Karachi comprises seven chapters. The first is theoretical; the second relates migration to family and household of the migrant; the third presents the background to rural migration; the fourth analyses the results of a pilot study; chapter five gives the results of a migration survey of several bastis in Karachi; chapter six discusses issues of migration and low income housing in Karachi and the last chapter notes the consequences of the migration-type for community life in the surveyed bastis of Karachi. The research in this book supplements that done in an earlier volume by the author and co-edited with Mehtab Karim, titled Migration in Pakistan, Vanguard Books Ltd, Lahore, 1986.
ISBN: 9694020131
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
RUTTIE JINNAH
₨ 1,995An immaculate political biography of Ruttie Jinnah by a Pakistani civil servant-cum-scholar Saad S. Khan, co-authored by former head of Jinnah Academy and his better half, Sara Khan. Painstakingly researched for over 12 years by personally visiting almost every conceivable place associated with Ruttie’s life – India, Pakistan and England, and interviewing scores of historians, family members and lawyers of Jinnah’s descendants, this hard-hitting book analyses the role Jinnah’s wife played during the freedom struggle.
Would Pakistan have still been created if Jinnah’s terminal illness was leaked? So, would India have still been partitioned if Ruttie was not his wife? Why did Gandhi ji, never known to have communicated with any other Muslim leader’s wife, choose to write letters directly to Mrs. Jinnah? Why did Motilal Nehru’s descendants distance themselves from Mrs. Jinnah despite his great regard for her? Was it merely a coincidence that nationalist Jinnah’s reorientation towards his two-nation theory took place during his married years?
This book is an attempt at incisively understanding Jinnah’s politics through his lover and a highly influential yet unstudied historical figure, Ruttie Jinnah’s eyes!
ISBN: 9789694026381
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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SECTARIANISM AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN
₨ 895CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN
ISBN: 9694022681
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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SHAHEEN KI PERVAAZ
₨ 995Flight 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 -
SIGNATURE PEDAGOGIES OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN
₨ 1,495This book presents signature pedagogies in teacher education. It presents a very comprehensive framework of creative and innovative pedagogies. The examples that it presents were conceptualized and implemented in the M.Ed. programme and other professional development programmes at the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). Karachi, Pakistan. In this book, we have taken up the challenge of showcasing evolving and creative pedagogies used by faculty members at the AKU-IED in the teaching and learning processes. Each chapter is unique because each describes a pedagogy which is intricately linked to a subject area and is an example of a lived experienced of a faculty member teaching a course at the M.Ed. level and in other professional development programmes at the AKU-IED. The book is a pioneer in presenting a consolidated collection of signature pedagogies in teacher education. The hope is that these examples will be useful for other teachers and teacher educators not only in Pakistan but also in other developing country contexts and will contribute to the changing scenario of teacher education across the world.
ISBN: 9789694026299
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SINDH & THE RACES THAT INHABIT THE VALLEY OF THE INDUS
₨ 1,495The object of the following pages must briefly be explained. During a residence of five years in Sindh, the author had frequent opportunity to remark, and cause to regret, the want of a single work treating upon the several subjects of the manners and customs, the domestic details, and the religious opinions of the people among, and with whom, he lived.
The descriptions of Sindh and its inhabitants hitherto published were found of little use — they are either of too popular a nature, intended to introduce the country to the home reader, or written with the view of imparting a superficial knowledge of the language.
Equally unserviceable are the many valuable works composed by residents in Hindustan and the Deccan, on account of the difference of dialects, habits and belief. This work is offered to the Sindhi student with little hesitation.
It contains long descriptions of the studies, religion and ceremonies peculiar to the race inhabiting our newly conquered country, the first specimens of the language, and notices of the literature ever printed, and what is of more consequence, a detailed account of native habits and customs, manners and ceremonies.
And it would be difficult to supply a better illustration of the popular axiom, “Knowledge is power,” than the conduct of Orientals towards those who understand them, compared with their contempt felt, if not expressed, for the ignorant. The learned Orientalist will find little in the following pages to merit or attract his attention. Much new matter has, it is presumed, been collected by the labour of years.
ISBN: 9694023270
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOCIO-RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK OF ABUL FAZL
₨ 60ISBN: Z1495 – Hardback
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS
ISBN: Z1495
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOCIO-RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK OF ABUL FAZL
₨ 50Abu Fazl’ Allami was one of the most outstanding intellectual figures of his times. Liberal in his religio-political outlook, cosmopolitan in his dealings with the various religious communities of India, seasoned as a diplomat and versatile as a scholar, he occupies a prominent place in the history of medieval political thought.
In an age torn by religious conflicts and tensions, he stood for religious toleration and peaceful co-existence of the various religious and cultural groups. As he was closely associated with the emperor Akbar, whose social and religious outlook made a deep impact on contemporary life and thought, Abul Fazl’s own religious and social ideas deserve a careful study.
Unfortunately his ideas are difficult to separate from those of Akbar, the reason being their identity of outlook and similarity of approach on fundamental problems of religion and society.
ISBN: 9694024625 – Hardback
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS
ISBN: 9694024625
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOCIOLOGY OF NATURAL RESOURCES
₨ 595The environment throughout Pakistan is being increasingly degraded and supplies of natural resources are increasingly falling short of demands. The primary causes of this situation —growing population, a developing economy and changing patterns of resource use — are not physical, but social. Accordingly, attempts to understand the state of natural resources in Pakistan must begin with its society.
Herein lies the value of this collection of readings. It consists of eighteen studies of different aspects of natural resource use in Pakistan (and surrounding countries). Each study presents data on a particular system of resource use and bases its conclusions and recommendations on these data. Instead of merely saying what should be — as is too often the case with development-related literature, these readings first say what is, and then argue from there.
This collection will be of value to government officials, scientists, professors, and students working in forestry, agriculture, soil conservation, irrigation, watershed management, energy, and environmental protection and conservation.
ISBN: 9694020530
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOCIOLOGY OF NATURAL RESOURCES
₨ 895The environment throughout Pakistan is being increasingly degraded and supplies of natural resources are increasingly falling short of demands. The primary causes of this situation —growing population, a developing economy and changing patterns of resource use — are not physical, but social. Accordingly, attempts to understand the state of natural resources in Pakistan must begin with its society.
Herein lies the value of this collection of readings. It consists of eighteen studies of different aspects of natural resource use in Pakistan (and surrounding countries). Each study presents data on a particular system of resource use and bases its conclusions and recommendations on these data. Instead of merely saying what should be — as is too often the case with development-related literature, these readings first say what is, and then argue from there.
This collection will be of value to government officials, scientists, professors, and students working in forestry, agriculture, soil conservation, irrigation, watershed management, energy, and environmental protection and conservation.
ISBN: 9694020549
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOUL RIVALS
₨ 1,195Sufism has always been a contested space in Pakistan. Successive governments, political parties, and religious organizations have attempted to co-opt it or reject it to suit their own political agendas. Since the turn of the millennium, however, the Pakistani government has made a conscious effort to recast Pakistan as a ‘Sufi country’—a whitewashing endeavor.
In the past few decades, Pakistan’s image has taken a severe beating, ravaged as the country is by the rise of religious extremism. A focus on the syncretic culture of Sufism was seen as a way to reverse this damage without the need to explore more secular narratives and alternatives as almost every attempt at genuine reform has triggered extreme reactions from the politicoreligious segments of the society that were empowered through various controversial constitutional amendments and laws between 1974 and the late 1980s.
Soul Rivals discusses the many strands of Sufism (State, Pop, and Militant) that have emerged in the course of the country’s attempts to reimagine Sufism. In this close look at the religio-political space in Pakistan, Nadeem Farooq Paracha is as insightful as he is entertaining.
Praise for Points of Entry Paracha’s essays are constructed around closely felt personal encounters; and in being so, they nudge the reader (wherever she may be) to look around with keener eye and ear to find the imprints of history and diverse influences in everyday conversations, in the music and food around, in the life stories of stray acquaintances. It is, in sum, a riveting introduction to Pakistan. – Mini Kapoor, The Hindu
Layered and powerful, Paracha’s writing takes you beyond … the usual cliches, to present, a nuanced picture of a complex nation caught…. between the modernist impulse and the theocratic one – Manjula Narayan, Hindustan Times.
ISBN: 9789694026220
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SOUTH ASIA APPROACHES THE MILLENNIUM
₨ 895This 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
ISBN: 9694022657
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS IN PAKISTAN
₨ 200This book contains the results of a series of studies undertaken in Baldia Township, Karachi. The first chapter summarizes theoretical issues as, for example, the question of the displacement of people as a possible side-effect of legalization and upgrading of settlements. Chapter two describes Karachi’s main features, its housing problem and government housing policies. The third chapter places Baldia in perspective and the project’s scope of activities. Chapters four and five present and analyse the main findings of the survey, touching on demographic aspects, housing and services and the project’s financial consequences for the inhabitants of Baldia. The last chapters present the main conclusions and recommendations of the project.
ISBN: 9694020123
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
STATE VANDALISM OF HISTORY IN PAKISTAN
₨ 1,495The 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 -
STUDIES IN CULTURE, ART AND LITERATURE
₨ 1,495This second volume of Professor K. K. Aziz’s selected writings and addresses opens with a moving piece on the meaning of prayer. Then follow 3 lectures on culture: the way of life in medieval Muslim Deccan, the predicament of the Pakistani intellectual, and the departed glory of the Government College of Lahore. The 4 lectures on Islamic art explore its spiritual symbolism, religious significance and historical relevance. The section on literature mainly deals with the nature of poetry, the glory of love, John Keats, Oscar Wilde, Plato’s theory of poetry, and Anglo-Indian fiction. These pieces were written between 1948 and 2000 and show how the author’s mind has developed and his knowledge widened across the years. The outstanding quality of this collection is its freshness, regardless of the time when a particular item was composed. Aziz wrote well while still a student, and his mastery of words has kept pace with his growing years. His third and final collection, on remembering some great men. will be published shortly.
ISBN: 9694023599
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
STUDIES IN HISTORY AND POLITICS
₨ 1,695Vanguard Books has decided to bring out a selection of Professor K K Aziz’s scattered shorter writings in 3 volumes. This is the first to be published and consists of his lectures. Articles and papers on the themes of history and politics. Among the more significant of contents are pieces on Muslim India in British party politics. The All India Muslim Conference, the Indian Khilafat Movement, Mian Kafayet Ali’s (“A Punjabi’s”) scheme of 1939 which foreshadowed Pakistan with uncanny insight, Source Material on Pakistan’s History, Christianity and Imperialism, the Uses of History, and the State of Historical Scholarship in Pakistan. The volume concludes with some book reviews done for British academic journals. Aziz’s accomplishment lies the size of the canvas he paints and felicity with which he transmits his knowledge to the reader He writes without fear and is therefore worth reading. His second collection, the one on Culture, Art and Literature, will appear soon.
ISBN: 9694023580
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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THE 1993 ELECTIONS IN PAKISTAN
₨ 495Studies 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.
ISBN: 9694022622
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE CARPET WARS
₨ 1,195A writer’s true-life odyssey through a crescent of Islamic nations and regions. Following the historical and cultural threads of the oriental carpets, we plunge into a world where even the simplest motif on a rug can be filled with religious, tribal and political significance…
ISBN: 9694023769
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE DIARY OF A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
₨ 1,195Everyone knows me. All of Lahore, all of Karachi, all of Isloo — oho, baba, Islamabad — half of Dubai, half of London and all of Khan Market and all the nice, nice bearers in Imperial Hotel also… No ball, no party, no dinner, no coffee morning, no funeral, no GT Get Together. yaar —is complete without me.
br>Meet Butterfly, Pakistan’s most lovable, silly, socialite. An avid partygoer, inspired misspeller, and unwittingly acute observer of Pakistani high society, Butterfly is a woman like no other. In her world, SMS becomes S & M and people eat ‘three tiara cakes’ while shunning ‘do number ka maal’. ‘What cheeks!’ as she would say. As her country faces tribulations — from 9/11 to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto — Butterfly glides through her world, unfazed, untouched, and stopped short only by the chip in her manicure. Wicked and hugely entertaining, The Diary of a Social Butterfly gives you a delicious glimpse into the parallel universe of the have-musts.
ISBN: B01000
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE DRY SIDE OF THE INDUS
₨ 1,495They 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 -
THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF PAKISTAN
₨ 150This book seeks to discover economic indicators of growth and relate them to socio-political developments in Pakistan from 1947 to 1971. A second volume will cover the period 1971-1982.
This is a deiligent, scholarly and sober book which is not inhibit-ed by radical rhetoric or purple passages. It will act as a useful methodological and theoretical corrective to the economic view of Pakistan usually derived from Western — or Western trained economists.
ISBN: Z1451 – Hardback
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS
ISBN: Z1451
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE END OF INNOCENCE
₨ 1,495
‘Moni Mohsin’s accomplished and moving first novel deals not only with the aftermath of a dangerous love, but with its effects on an entire community; retribution, revenge, and the terrible complicity of the heedless in the destruction of innocence. Deeply sensitive to nuances of class and gender, she dissects the diseased psyche of an "honour killer", showing with patient insight how such crimes are often not so much the result of premeditation as spontaneous violence, with family and clan members conspiring to cover up what has been done rather than colluding with the murderer’s action. ‘The End of Innocence is unusual in its setting: the rural farmland? West Punjab, delineated in its changing colours and seasons with the minimal brush strokes of a Japanese artist. The simple, sensual prose reflects the multilingual world in which Its child protagonist lives, moving easily from western references to translations of local proverbs and citations of folklore.’ —Aamer Hussein, The Independent, London
‘Pakistan-born Londoner, Moni Mohsin’s debut novel is an utterly engrossing tale of innocence lost. Mohsin vividly recreates the atmosphere of rural Pakistan in all its variety, from the smell of sugarcane to the cool shadows of Laila’s elegant home. The reports of political strife never intrude too far into the story of Sabzbagh’s residents but the worried gossip of adults about their government’s actions add a faint air of menace and a hint of violence and sorrow to come.
‘Eager, warm-hearted and bright, without being precocious, Laila is an appealing young heroine. In fact, all the characters are convincingly drawn, even those with the potential to descend into caricature are well-rounded and believable.
‘Moving, warm and compulsively readable, The End of Innocence is a very promising debut.’—Anna Carey, The Irish Examiner
‘Moni Mohsin’s debut is an absorbing take on The Go-Between set in rural Pakistan in 1971. Mohsin balances an enjoyable polyphony of characters — the wizened old servant, the jolly ex-pat, the flustered nun — as she depicts an idyllic milieu under threat. This is an assured, emotionally engaging novel.’ — Richard Godwin, Literary Review, London
‘The End of Innocence is set in 1 970s Pakistan, a world of vibrant colour, rich smells and savage civil wait Mohsin uses words like a palette to paint a vivid picture of the country she grew up in. Themes synonymous with another world — honour killings, family honour-collide with the universal consequences of exposed secrets. This is a beautifully written work which promises to be a real success.’ — Melissa Thompson, The Big Issue, London
ISBN: 9694025060
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE EPIC OF PURAN BHAGAT
₨ 1,495Qadiryar (1802-1891) is not nearly as well-known as his great predecessors Baba Farid, Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah. The fame he enjoys rests on his si harfi Puran Bhagat which has been translated for the first time into English verse by Taufiq Rafat. Puran Bhagat for all its virtues is a serious poem with no vignettes of rural life which interlard the epic romances, and which endeared these poems to the masses. Its affinity to the Phaedra legend will be found very intriguing. But these are academic considerations. In its own right, however, Qadiryar’s Puran Bhagat deserves to be recognised as a masterpiece. We hope that this translation will draw attention once again to this long neglected poem. To the reader of English however, Puran Bhagat will be a revelation. The sheer sweep and power of the poem will hit him like a tidal wave. We doubt if he will be able to put down the book till he has read the last line. This particular translation has had one end primarily in view—unobstructed narration. Such native wisdom as Qadiryar infused into the narrative, is an organic part of it, and cannot be isolated as memorable quotes. But this becomes irrelevant when one is confronted with this memorable poem.
ISBN: Z1485
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR & ITS CAUSES
₨ 995THE events which the following work endeavours to bring before the reader in their connection did not fail, as they severally occurred, to strike the public mind with humiliation and grief, or with joy and exultation. They partially aroused England to a sense of the greatness of the trust conferred upon her by Divine Providence, and forcibly called her attention to the vast Empire won by the genius and courage of a few great men, repeatedly perilled by the weak and rash; and the preservation of which may at any hour depend on the individual to whom for the time its destinies have been entrusted.
A consideration of events after the excitement of defeat or victory has been allayed, and when the retrospect can be calmly made, may want freshness of novelty in its incidents, but can scarcely fail to prove instructive.
ISBN: 9694023130
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
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THE FORGOTTEN LEGACIES OF GANGA RAM 1851 – 1927
₨ 1,495Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram (13th April 1851-10th July 1927) was a renowned Indian civil engineer and architect. His extensive contributions to the urban fabric of Lahore prompted Khaled Ahmed to describe him as the Father of Modern Lahore.
His birth had taken place in a small village in Nankana Sahib district of West Punjab into a Punjabi Hindu Baniya family of Agarwals who had migrated from Uttar Pradesh. On completing his school years in Amritsar he managed to secure scholarships to two of the best institutions of the country, Govt College Lahore and Thomason College of Engineering Roorkee. His stellar academic records here enabled his entry to the Public Works Department Lahore, something still rare and unusual for native engineers. His 12 year period as the Executive Engineer witnessed many outstanding contributions to the urban landscape of the city of Lahore and is oft referred to as the Ganga Ram Architectural period. The early structures built by him were the famous Mayo School of Art-1880 and the Aitchison Chiefs College-1886. This was to be followed among many others by the Lahore Museum in his trademark redbrick style as was the ornately structured Lahore General Post Office.
His feats in agriculture and his philanthropic endeavors were to follow on the heels of his retirement in 1903, and are delineated in detail in this biography. But sadly for most people in Pakistan his story is lost in the obscurities of time and his name seems to be now solely associated with the hospital in his name. That is the case in India too and here the hospital named after him was built by his family in the 1950s but little else is known of him or remembered. The hope with which I embarked on writing this biography was to revive these forgotten legacies and to honor him as an integral part of the precious heritage of our shared history.
ISBN: 9789694026541
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS -
THE FOURTH ESTATE
₨ 295Khalid Hasan Is back with more racy stuff about people and politics in Pakistan. This latest collection of his articles has it all. ZAB, Paiz, Manto, Skipper Kardar, A.S. Bokhari, Habib Jalib, Kausar Niazi, Musarrat Nazir, Ava Gardner the list goes on. Khalid liasan once said that he found it far easier to4m,,a01 write about people than about issues and so it is his subtle and ironical look at Pakistani people,.the famous and the infamous, that makes this collection very readable.
So settle back and enjoy Khalid liasan’s portraits of people and events that make Pakistan such a unique melting pot where the humourous and the bizarre go side by side.
ISBN: 969402255X
Publisher: VANGUARD BOOKS
