Pakistan : eye of the storm

Access to nuclear weapons, political instability, and deep-rooted economic and social issues have placed Pakistan in the global spotlight. General Pervez Musharraf, re-elected in 2002, is the first leader in three decades to confront the nation’s Islamic extremists. However, questions loom about his ability to control the very forces that contributed to the rise of the Taliban and the ongoing conflict in Kashmir. Can the military and intelligence agencies rein in the radical elements they once nurtured? This compelling history of Pakistan from 1947 onward delves into the societal fractures within the country. It examines the roles of nationalists in the provinces, feudal landlords in rural areas, and the bureaucratic elite in Islamabad, while also analyzing the intricate dynamics between religion, regional politics, and the military. As a BBC correspondent in Pakistan from 1998 to 2001, Bennett Jones provides firsthand accounts of critical events leading to Musharraf's rise, including the 1999 coup, the Kargil conflict, and the nation’s nuclear tests. This book is essential for anyone seeking to grasp the complexities of a country pivotal in the expulsion of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the 1980s and a key partner in the U.S. war against terrorism post-9/11.