Contemporary Pakistan : Political Processes, Conflicts and Crises/Veena Kukreja. New Delhi, Sage, 2003, xviii, 350 p., tables, $40. ISBN 81-7829-146-0.

Contents: Introduction. 1. Struggle for democracy: 1947-1958 and 1971-1977. 2. Military and governance. 3. Political economy: near the brink of collapse. 4. Ethnic divide: aspirations and political power. 5. The rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan. 6. The menace of Narco power: parallel government. 7. Restoration of democracy and crisis of governability: 1988-1999. 8. Persistent praetorianism: Pakistan’s fourth military regime. 9. Authoritarianism, democracy and development. Glossary. Select bibliography. Index.

"Ever since it came into being in 1947, Pakistan has undergone a tumultuous process of nation-building. It has struggled to create a sufficient consensus in its polity, while endeavouring to establish the political institutions necessary for stability. The unfinished agenda of nation-building in Pakistan is today standing at an unenviable and critical cross-roads.

"Veena Kukreja provides a rare reasoned analysis of the political processes at work in contemporary Pakistan and an objective understanding of the problems and crises confronting the country. She provides insights into the evolution of state structures taking into account the complex interplay of domestic, regional and international forces which have influenced and even moulded political developments in Pakistan since 1947.

"The author points out that for 25 out of the 53 years of its existence, the military has been the arbiter of Pakistan’s destiny. Further, that a grassroots-based party system of parliamentary democracy is yet to take root. The military, she maintains, regards its dominance of Pakistani politics not only as a right but as a duty. As a result, state security has taken precedence over the need to create participatory political processes and institutions or even over making nominal investments in economic development and in the social sectors.

"The book concludes by pointing out that the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and the resulting US offensive in Afghanistan, has put the military regime in Islamabad in a tight spot. Caught between unyielding ulemas, a faltering economy, and American pressure to demolish militant networks in Pakistan, these recent developments—combined with the dangerous cleavage within Pakistani society—could well push that country into another bout of instability and even anarchy. The situation is made more complex by the nexus between terrorism and drugs.

"This is a topical, cogently argued and insightful commentary on contemporary Pakistan’s polity and political process. It will draw the attention of students, scholars, journalists, diplomats and the general reader interested in Pakistan and in South Asian politics."

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