Pakistan: A Hard Country [Hardcover]

In addition to the subtitle "A Hard Country" could also be added a "Complex Country". Mr. Lieven gives us Pakistan from that country's viewpoint and that is the great strength of this book.

We are presented with a turbulent multi-layered portrayal of a country surrounded by enemies (like India), unfriendly countries (like Iran) or failed states (like Afghanistan). Within Pakistan (with a population of close to 200 million) there are so many diverse groups competing with each other (sometimes violently) that it sometimes puts Pakistan's very survival in jeopardy.

As Mr. Lieven points out there are so many disparate Islamic groups and ethnicities that it is a misconception of Western countries that Pakistan is on the verge of becoming an Islamic State like Saudi Arabia. In fact, Pakistan is a veritable marketplace of different brands of Islam. At this stage the Taleban (spelt in this book with an "e" instead of an "i") would be unable to overthrow the government. They may be powerful in the ungoverned FATA and NWFP provinces, but aside from terrorist attacks they have not made significant inroads in the main provinces of Punjab and Sindh - actually the army has taken significant containment steps. The Talebans' austere brand of Islam would not sit well with the abundant Islamic groups who worship saints and shrines.

But this book still gives a gloomy view of the country - a state befuddled by corruption, patronage and an inept judicial system (that inadvertently promotes Taleban quick justice). It is also a state swept up in delusional paranoia that believes, among other delusions, that the Sept. 11 attacks were done by Israel, the Bush administration...

It is a state that since its inception in 1947 is ruled by fear - fear outside its borders - particularly of India and at one time of communism. It is ruled by fear from within - there is a separatist faction in Balochistan, the growth of fundamentalism in the Frontier areas. It's largest city Karachi, has several feuding ethnic groups. Also, all ranks of the population hate the U.S. for their presence in Afghanistan - for fighting other Muslims. Pakistan views Afghanistan as its own proxy state and fears any Indian influence their.

As per Mr. Lieven the only operative success in Pakistan is the army - to use a Prussian term "it is an army with a state".

This is not a pretty picture - it is an extremely volatile mix. As I remarked at the beginning, we are given a view from the Pakistani perspective. Unfortunately, we on the outside, view Pakistan as a breeding ground for global terrorists - terrorists who move easily between Afghanistan and Pakistan. If Pakistan cannot control this, along with the madrassa schools of religious indoctrination, the West will likely continue to intervene militarily in this area. This also needs to be coupled with humanitarian aid for both countries.

I learnt much from this book. We are provided with a wide scope of vivid portraits. The outlook given the illiteracy (particularly of women) and lack of broad-based education does not look promising. Mr. Lieven also warns us of the ecological disasters awaiting Pakistan, in a sense much more critical than the Islamic one, due to the rapidly expanding population.

If I had to review the book `Pakistan: A Hard Country' in one line I would say it is brilliant. The book is well researched, informative, insightful, but most of all for a country that finds itself often in headline news for the wrong reasons, empathetic.
Pakistan is an enigma for even its own citizens. Mr Lieven loosens the knot of this enigma one thread at a time. Lieven has spent many years in the country and the region as a journalist. The network, knowledge and understanding he has assembled is evident each page of the book. What is more, he explains the country not just to western readers. His analysis opens new space for Pakistani readers too.
Lieven leads the reader through an apparent chaotic labyrinth that for many defines Pakistan. Step by step, he picks up each strand of the country's many facets: its politics, social structure, economy and security to weave a narrative that explains a country and its many problems. Pakistan's apparent follies no longer remain unique to the country. Its rent seeking and insensitive elite has its counterparts in many countries around the world. Its citizens' penchant to put the blame for all of the country's problems on foreign governments and their inability to own up to responsibility too is not unusual. Lieven contextualizes Pakistani attitudes in its social structure. He dedicates chapters to each of Pakistan's four provinces. They reveal a country diverse in many ways and yet integrated by common values and shared insecurities.
Among all these currents, Lieven leaves the reader reassured. Despite many natural disasters and challenges resulting from the follies of its governing class, the Pakistani people retain their heads above water. Through hope and surprising self-belief, the larger Pakistani population not only survives, but also believes in a better country for their children. Lieven feels that the country is too important to be given the capricious treatment it has so often received from its allies. The focus on Afghanistan must not detract from Pakistan's centrality. There will be no stability in the region without progress in Pakistan. Any military adventure against the country would not just be counterproductive. It may be a catastrophe.
Lieven's lucid prose is alive with details of personal anecdotes that enrich and strengthen his narrative. Perhaps the definitive work on Pakistan and one to be read by all those interested in the country and the region.

This timely book has its merits and could undoubtedly contribute to a more nuanced interpretation of events in this important country. One can only hope that people involved in the foreign policy of the United States take note as one message that Mr. Lieven does get across is that a US-military intervention in Pakistan would have disastrous consequences for the whole of Southeast Asia.

Mr. Lieven explains the very big social and ethnic differences which characterise the 4 states which constitute Pakistan. Every observer should take these into account before drawing any conclusions on events in this `hard' and fascinating country. Terrorist attacks by the Taliban in Pathan-dominated regions have entirely different motives than for instance attacks by Baluchistan terrorists, financed by India.

Lieven illustrates very well how institutions (such as a judicial system, politics...), which characterize democratic countries have been adapted and perverted in Pakistan into something which cannot contribute to the efficient functioning of a modern state. Corruption and patronage seems to be intimately linked to politics and the judicial system seems to act inherently slow and to benefit only the rich...

The merit of this book is to underline this and should help Western journalists not to draw the wrong, tendentious conclusions.

The success of the Taliban in imposing shariah in the tribal areas, is for quite a lot of Western journalists an illustration of the dangers of this awful repressive and regressive regime. Lieven shows however that in the mainly Pathan-dominated regions the local population simply prefers to replace the state judicial system by a system which is experienced as faster and more just. The state judicial system is very slow, often corrupt and is de facto a colonial relic, imposed on the people with the utmost disregard for the existing traditional ethical system of Pasthunwali. It will come as a surprise, but the female population even prefers the shariah, as it is experiences it as more female-friendly than the old Pasthunwali system.

Politics in the Pakistani way seems to be a caricature of the democratic system known in the Western world. Votes are cast along tribal or feudal lines, mostly simply on basis of clientelism. The military is apparently the only institution based on meritocracy and has played a rather positive role in this state and could well be much more beneficial for the country and its people than for instance the democratically-elected kleptocracy of President Zardari. The Bhutto-regimes, mostly depicted positively in the Western press, were characterized by huge corruption

Pakistan is obviously a very intriguing but also complicated country. It is a pity that the confused organisation of this book does not always contribute to a clear understanding. One has the impression that for some reason this book has been hurried for publication.
The author does put in a lot of factual details, often on basis of first-hand experience gathered during his frequent visits to the country, however this does not always lead to a strong argumentation.
The author's statement that environmental factors could have a catastrophic impact on the future of Pakistan, mentioned in the introduction and in the conclusion is not worked out at all.

The subtitle `A Hard Country' does not completely reflect the theme of the book, which pays an undue great attention to the phenomenon of the Taliban, most likely due to Mr. Lieven's background as a journalist.

A very big deficiency of this book is the complete lack of maps.

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