Pakistan Affairs is a book with a primary focus on the history of Pakistan and its ruling elite. Written by Ikram Rabbani. The book analyzes Pakistan, its main institutions namely the military, the civilian government and the bureaucracy. He also includes his own thoughts about what he sees as problems with these institutions. The author uses primary sources like documents, interviews given to him by various organizations and individuals including high level military officials who were related or connected to Pakistani history. This makes it an interesting read for anyone interested in Pakistani affairs like students of contemporary history or international relations. The author does not offer solutions for any of his insights but rather offers information that can later be explored by other models that may work better in Pakistan. The book leaves many questions unanswered and has many topics that could have been explored more. Since it is a first of its kind, it makes up for a good read, and it shows Pakistan in a way then only few knew. PROLOGUE: Pakistan Affairs then begins with an introduction, giving us an insight of what we can expect from the chapters of the book. It gives us information about who wrote the book and why did he write this document. An entire chapter is dedicated to these aspects and goes straight into the history of Pakistan and its ruling elite before independence and after independence. It also touches upon the events that led towards Pakistan and how leaders and politicians in Pakistan have tried to solve problems. This chapter is dedicated to the selection of people who will be seen throughout the book and their background. Part 1: The Military Establishment: The first section begins with an introduction on the military establishment in Pakistan which includes the roles of generals, what they have faced for years during wars, their political demands, their views on democracy, which still persists today-it is interesting to see how what some think is democratic was changed into a military dictatorship controlled by General Zia. It gives an insight into the policies of Zia-ul Haq which had some positive outcomes but some negative ones as well. It also mentions the marriage of General Zia and Benazir Bhutto. It shows that children born to this union will have an impact on political aspects in Pakistan. The second part of the chapter deals with the reasons why Pakistani generals have never trusted democracy nor have they ever wanted to embrace it. It also covers which generals are considered as 'traitors' by Pakistanis. Part 2: The Civilian Government: The second section explores the civilian government in Pakistan. 8eeb4e9f32 47
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