From the author
The event that compelled me to write this book was the clash in 1999 between the Pakistani and Indian armies in the icy heights of Kargil in Kashmir. This was the fourth major conflict between Pakistan and India, and came a year after both nations had exploded nuclear devices. The Kargil conflict ignited tensions between the civilian government and the military in Pakistan, leading to another bout of military rule.
In this book, I analyze contemporary events in light of the region’s complex history. Several of Pakistan’s problems can be traced to its national security policies that place a heavy emphasis on military spending. Its fear of being reabsorbed into India has caused it to spend enormous amounts of its resources on national defense. Very little has been left for economic and social development, resulting in the present situation where its national security has been gravely compromised by the very policies that seek to increase its security.
This book reviews the strategic culture of Pakistan. It is written to re-examine the fundamental premises at the core of Pakistan’s security policies, and to propose a “soft path” that does not equate military security with national security.
There is a vast and burgeoning literature on the problems facing Pakistan. Economists have analyzed why Pakistan failed to become an Asian tiger. Political scientists have theorized why democracy failed to germinate in Pakistan while it flourished in neighboring India. Defense analysts have reviewed the failings of Pakistan’s military in its myriad wars with India, and wondered why the two militaries that shared a common parent in the British Indian Army have fared so differently. Sociologists have discussed the impact of militarism on Pakistani society and studied, in consort with political scientists, why Pakistan cannot free itself from the scourge of militarism. This book weaves together these multiple strands of research.