FOUR MAJOR PARTS:
- Historical foundation, its cultural, demographical and geographical attributes.
- The second part of the book emphasizes the internal structure justice, religion, military and politics.
- The third part is consist of provincial balance of the country.
- Last the Taliban role in politics and state’s strategy to defeat Taliban.
Theme 1: land people and the irony of fate
Pakistan has youth buldge, large hubs of natural resources, a vibrant agriculture landscape and the lucrative Indus water basin.
Liven asserts that Pakistan has all the intrinsic drives needed to develop into a strong economy.
However, it is the irony of fate that county is capable of catering for its own self sufficiency consistently finds itself dependent on foreign donors and international aid.
Theme 2: kinship system and dynastical democracy.
Kinship system as deeply engrained in the polity of Pakistan. The idea of electable herein political leadership remains concentrated among few families.
The kinship system has provided a sense of stability but that has come at the expense of democracratic development.
Politics in Pakistan remains a domain of elite wherein self-interest often trumped national interest.
Theme 3: larger than life military
Dynastic democratic setup historically people have always looked for a third force. Often welcoming military takeovers.
Army as discipline institution has gained legitimacy over the years and established for themselves a larger than life role which has eventually fed into the lack of democratic development in Pakistan.
“Military has always had the social capital to undertake interventions”
Theme 4: checkered history of justice in Pakistan
Justice system slow and politicized often colluded with the military in the part to provide blanket over constitutional violation.
Theme 5: role of religion in polity and society
Pakistan as sensitive about their religion. Religious features heavily in their daily lives but as a political force religious policies have never made significant progress.
Politicians in Pakistan have used and abused religion.
Theme 6: Taliban factor in Pakistan
Levin says unlike the Afghans Taliban, TTP in Pakistan lacks the support of the masses and is widely considered as anti-state by all factions. Dealing with them requires a multi-dimensional approach involving both kinetic measures and non-kinetic measures.
Kinetic measures:
Use of force
radul fasad
zarb-e-azab
Non kinetic force:
Socio-economic development
Good governance
Political stability
Theme 7: climate change and Pakistan
for leaven the greatest long-term threat to pakistan is ecological change.
Climate change has potential to disrupt Pakistan.
Concluding remarks:
The book iterates that the narrative that Pakistan is a failed state is not true.