The Book:
In the face of mounting domestic and international pressures, Pakistan has been in the midst of one of the most challenging phases of its history. This book offers critical insights and perspectives on Pakistan's political identity, foreign policy, international security and economic development in the post-9/11 period, and assesses its geopolitical and strategic significance both at the regional arid the global level.
The book appears in a context where Pakistan has come to symbolise, inadvertently or otherwise, the intersection between war and peace, democracy and dictatorship, secularism and religion. It closely examines the political developments during the critical period between 11 September 2001 and the return of the country to democratic elections in February 2008 following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto - especially in light of the tumultuous events in Pakistan since 2007. In a mariner that is both informative and scholarly, the book aims to provide a broad, contemporary understanding of recent developments while considering the potential of the country to turn it around. It argues that its future lies in the achievement of three inter-related goals: arresting Islamic fundamentalism and ethnic conflict; removing the military from the centre stage of politics and governance; and restoring democracy through viable political structures and effective leaders.
The volume will serve as an objective reference point and valuable resource in contemporary research, and would be of special interest to scholars, analysts and policy makers, as well as the general reader, with interest in the politics and future of South Asia and Pakistan. Students of politics, international relations, courses on South Asia and Pakistan, terrorism, fundamentalism, security, regionalism, military governments, will find it especially useful.
The Author:
Rajshree Jetty is Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Contributors: lshtiaq Ahmed / Imran Au I Kanti Bajpai I Pervaiz lqbal Cheema I C. Christine Fair I 5eIk S. Harrison I Arsian Razmi I Amin Saikal / Mohammad Waseem I Robert G. Wirsing I S. Akbar Zaidi.
