The Idea of Pakistan

had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Cohen when I briefly visited Brookings at Washington, back in 2003. I needed some advice on a career in academia and I had sought audience with a few people in the US - he was one of them. In the half an hour I was with him, I heard in rapt attention as this pleasant man held forth on Kashmir and other topics - precise, knowledgeable and humorous in an understated manner. Several years later, I met him again at the Staff College where he was a visitor and I a 'teacher'.

This is a work of great scholarship. Stephen Cohen has looked at contemporary Pakistan through a microscope - and a telescope! His analysis of how the original idea of Pakistan casts a shadow on its present, the central role of the Army, the reach of Islamists, the apparent failure of the political class, the growing wave of anti-Americanism, the influence of madaris, a faltering economy that appears to be driving towards a precipice and the overall and growing lack of confidence among its people in the correctness of the direction their country is taking.

Cohen builds several scenarios and evaluated them for likelihood and desirability - status quo, Army/ authoritarian rule, full-fledged democracy, Islamist rule, break-up of the nation et al. It also discusses options that America has in dealing with its now-ally-now-headache 'friend'.

Cohen's work is extremely well researched and rings with authority. He argues that, contrary to the opinion of some, Pakistan is not about to become a failed state anytime in the near future. He is, however, not optimistic about a radical turnaround in its current (the book was written in 2004 or so but things have steadily got worse since then) status.

I was also struck by the fact that of all the future scenarios he built, 'liberal democracy' in Pakistan is considered the best for improving the India-Pakistan relations; and yet, that is among the scenarios that Cohen finds less likely to come to life. As in everything else, the Army's role casts a long and unwavering shadow on this scenario.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone having interest in contemporary Pakistan. Even if you end up only validating many of the beliefs that you have held all along, the book certainly illuminates many dark corners with great clarity and force.