Folio Books

Eight Theses on Authoritarianism in Pakistan

by Ammar Ali Jan

Rs. 750 |  $ 10.00

DESCRIPTION

Why have democratic institutions and norms not taken root in Pakistan? In these polemical essays, Ammar Jan presents eight theses to explain the political, economic and social roots of authoritarianism in the country. Rather than fixating on particular individuals or governments, this work focuses on the structural features propelling the rising militarisation of society. Jan locates the deep fear of the masses held by ruling classes and state officials as a critical point of departure to grasp the pervasive disregard for popular sovereignty. This paranoia has created a permanent state of emergency in Pakistan that is used to deploy excessive violence against popular challenges to the status quo. To fight back against this failing order, the book calls for the construction of alternative ideas that can unite disparate movements struggling for justice and dignity.

REVIEWS

“Rule by Fear is a much-needed primer for progressive politics in Pakistan. Ammar Jan brings together his scholarly insights and experience as an activist in this clearly written and accessible text. It reminds us of Pakistan’s checkered past, yet provides a way forward toward a more egalitarian and socially just future. A must read for those interested in the linkages of the Pakistani state with the colonial era and how this history continues to inform the contemporary period.”

– Kamran Asdar Ali, Surkh Salam: Communist Politics and Class Activism in Pakistan 1947-1972

“Rule by Fear is a compendium of all the hidden, progressive stories of Pakistan that fundamentally reads as a love story for the people of Pakistan, particularly students and workers who have been systematically denied any right to call themselves Pakistani because of politicians and military leaders who pose as if they are the only groups who can protect Pakistan against the many threats to its security. Jan traces this constant state of fear of attack back to the colonial period. He argues that the military and certain politicians are only able to portray this threat as new, and themselves as the true protectors of Pakistan’s integrity, and win “… the battle of ideas” because they rob “the public of its own past”. Jan’s book illustrates precisely that past. A fantastic feat by an activist-academic who has worked tirelessly to stand by the ideals he believes in. Ammar Jan has written a book that will be, for years to come, a sourcebook for social historians who are searching for the hidden histories of progressive Pakistan.”

– Anushay Malik, Narrowing Politics: The Labour Movement in Lahore, 1947-1974

“Ammar Ali Jan’s Rule by Fear is an intellectual tour de force that provides nuanced theoretical insights into the historical processes of Pakistan’s political formations, social complexities and economic upheavals over the last seven decades. Through his rigorous critical analysis, Jan helps set up a plan for revolutionary praxis as young Pakistani students, feminists, farmers, workers, ethno-nationalists and human rights activists seek to transform the country’s outlook for a better future, an egalitarian society and a radical democracy.”

– Ali Usman Qasmi, Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan

Militarism, Affect, and the Politics of Sacrifice in the Pakistan Army

by Maria Rashid

Rs. 995

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The Pakistan Army, with its deep roots in the colonial armed forces, relies heavily on certain regions where men have served for generations. These men, their wives and mothers, and the military culture surrounding them are the focus of Maria Rashid’s Dying to Serve, which sensitively examines how the military thrives when so much of its work results in injury, debility, and death. Grounding her study in the famed martial district of Chakwal, she studies affect deployed in recruitment and training practices, as well as management of death and compensation to families. In doing so, she compellingly sets up affective technologies as critical to the appeal of militarism. Maria Rashid is a feminist practitioner, trainer, and researcher in the field of gender, masculinities, and violence.

REVIEWS

“This book is the only text on the Pakistan Army that ethnographically focuses on the lives (and deaths) of non-commissioned soldiers. By brilliantly using tropes of paradox and ambivalence, this excellent book tells us a story that interplays between nationalism, sacrifice, and masculinity in contemporary Pakistan. Unlike many renditions on the Pakistani military, this exceptional text enables us to understand the persuasive powers through which this potentially hegemonic entity seeks to create consensus.”

– Kamran Asdar Ali, The University of Texas at Austin

“A good read for those who want to understand militarism in Pakistan as well as why the military has become the center piece of Pakistani society for decades.”

– Shuja Nawaz, Atlantic Council in Washington

“In a book that breaks new ground in scholarship on Pakistani militarism, Maria Rashid explores how the Pakistan Army manages emotions like grief, pride and fear among foot soldiers and their families.”

– Mahvish Ahmad, London School of Economics

“This absorbing and troubling book grapples with the puzzle of how the Pakistani military can hold the devotion and loyalty of so many citizens while promising them endless wars, death, and impairment. Rashid’s thoughtful and at times harrowing account draws on sensitive ethnography with families of martyrs and unprecedented access to military ceremonies to weave a persuasive argument about the power of martyrdom and ritualistic mourning as technologies of rule.”

– Laleh Khalili, Queen Mary University of London

“As one of the first detailed anthropological studies on the cultural, social and affective aspects of militarism, Dying to Serve enriches the existing literature on the political economy of militarism. It is the first book that shows the complex inter-linkages between the realms of the social, cultural and affective on the one hand, and the economic, political and strategic aspects of militarism on the other, revealing that the latter are tied to and dependent upon the former. Dying to Serve is a very engaging read which appeals simultaneously to the heart and to the mind – it makes one reflect as well as feel. It combines intellectual detachment about militarism with an emotional attachment with those who die to make us live.”

– Rubina Saigol, Independent Researcher

“Maria Rashid conducts an intimate and layered ethnography of militarism and death in Pakistan, with a focus on the lives, aspirations, and tragedies of soldiers and their families in rural Punjab. Theoretically incisive, ethnographically charged, and politically urgent, Dying to Serve is a landmark publication in the study of South Asia, Pakistan, and modern militarism that is destined to become a classic.”

– Sher Ali Tareen, Franklin and Marshall College

“Ethnographic studies of military organizations are extremely rare due to the excessive secrecy of the defense sector, but Maria Rashid is able to demonstrate why and how gender is so central to this web of institutional and ideological power. This is a unique contribution to critical studies of contemporary militarism as a global phenomenon. This highly original study shows that we can learn about the appeal of military service by engaging with those who stand to lose the most from its allure: the women whose sons and husbands die in uniform.”

– Vron Ware, Kingston University

“Rashid follows families of fallen soldiers, engages them in lengthy conversations, and observes their losses and pain first hand. This is psychologically demanding work and Rashid handles it with a great deal of sensitivity. Her account is full of sharp insights, deeply thoughtful observations, and grapples with questions that books on militaries typically forget to ask. Its extensive field research and refreshing approach make Dying to Serve one of the best recent books written on the Pakistan Army. It also represents a valuable contribution to the broader literature on the politics of the military.”

– Amit Ahuja, University of California – Santa Barbara

“A compelling account of how micro-level developments fit with the broader pursuit of the Pakistan Army’s agenda and narrative, Dying to Serve should be compulsory reading for students and scholars of the army, politics and nationalism…”

– Asma Faiz, Lahore University Of Management Sciences

Joys and Jitters of Many Journeys

by Razi Azmi

Rs. 1,495  |  $ 25.00

DESCRIPTION

A World Unveiled captures Razi Azmi’s many journeys spanning decades across Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Russia, all undertaken with something approaching religious zeal. This is a compelling travelogue with many elements: personal stories, adventures, social encounters, historical facts, geographical descriptions, anecdotes and more. The author shares not just his passion for travel and the thrill of his journeys but also the frustrations and annoyances that inevitably accompany the intrepid traveller: moments of ecstasy and excitement interspersed with frustrations, dangers and vagaries of visas. As Razi Azmi describes his fascinating trips in A World Unveiled, he seems to take you along with him to his numerous destinations.

REVIEWS

“Razi Azmi chronicles his world-wide adventures in the great and enduring tradition of travel writers from Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta to Richard Haliburton and Paul Theroux. A keen observer and meticulous penman, he records in fascinating detail his journeys from tiny specks of nations like Lesotho to the vast steppes of Russia and the wide Canadian prairies. Throughout, his descriptions are colourful and witty and evoke the very character of the lands and peoples he visits.”

– B. R. Burg, Former Professor, Arizona State University

“Of many reasons to read this book, three stand out in particular: Razi Azmi has been to hundreds of places most people will never get to; he’s talked to more people in more languages than most people ever will; and he has a sense of humour more profound than most travel writers.”

– Carl Pletsch, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado

“Razi Azmi writes with empathy and respect for the lands, people and their cultures. I am particularly impressed by his detailed observations and descriptions of the people and places in Africa, the continent of my birth and growth. But it wasn’t until I read Razi’s travelogue that I realised how little I knew about my own continent.”

– Ali Tunne Godana, Kenyan Travel Enthusiast

“Razi Azmi, like me, was born with itchy feet, which took us far and away to different parts of the world. His accounts of India in particular—the places, the train odysseys, the bustling mood—are fascinating to read. I salute him for his travels and insightful narration of his experiences covering much of the world.”

– Sandip Hor, Indian Travel Writer and Photographer

“Razi Azmi gives us a poignant, simultaneous look at geographic, demographic and political landscapes. He’s a polyglot with as many interests and stories. Unlike accidental tourists, he follows an intentional course, with articulate conversations about both the structured and serendipitous. And he is fearless in doing so, following the George Packer model (the Atlantic): ‘A writer who’s afraid to tell people what they don’t want to hear has chosen the wrong trade.’  Azmi should never trade his trade; he demonstrates joy, courage and candour in his timely reflections .”

– Jerry Pattengale, Professor, Indiana Wesleyan University

“Packed with fascinating details and insights, A World Unveiled brings to life the infinity of meandering plains, the aromas escaping deep from within narrow bazaars. It is a gift for these times, when so much has changed for the intrepid and curious traveler alike.”

– Amna Zuberi, Pakistani Travel and Documentary Photographer

Surviving between Dictatorship and Democracy

Edited by Mariam Mufti, Sahar Shafqat, and Niloufer Siddiqui

Rs. 1495

DESCRIPTION

Pakistan’s 2018 general elections marked the second successful transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another—a remarkable achievement considering the country’s history of dictatorial rule. Pakistan’s Political Parties examines how the civilian side of the state’s current regime has survived the transition to democracy, providing critical insight into the evolution of political parties in Pakistan and their role in developing democracies in general.Pakistan’s numerous political parties span the ideological spectrum, as well as represent diverse regional, ethnic, and religious constituencies. The essays in this volume explore the way in which these parties both contend and work with Pakistan’s military-bureaucratic establishment to assert and expand their power. Researchers use interviews, surveys, data, and ethnography to illuminate the internal dynamics and motivations of these groups and the mechanisms through which they create policy and influence state and society.

Pakistan’s Political Parties is a one-of-a-kind resource for diplomats, policymakers, journalists, and scholars searching for a comprehensive overview of Pakistan’s party system and its unlikely survival against an interventionist military, with insights that extend far beyond the region.

REVIEWS

“This is truly an important contribution to the literature on political parties and electoral considerations in Pakistan. There is nothing like it that currently exists.”

—Charles H. Kennedy, professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations and Director, Middle East and South Asia Program, Wake Forest University

“This is a long overdue, but essential, contribution to our understanding of Pakistan. With an impressive author list, this will become the go-to book on understanding political parties in Pakistan’s hybrid regime.”

—Katharine Adeney, Director of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute

“Pakistan’s Political Parties is a timely and vital contribution to the social science literature on political parties in south Asia . . . . It presents an exceptionally lucid and well-crafted analysis of major political parties in Pakistan, their role and functions in a nascent democracy, and the relationship of political parties to other institutions.”

—Kavita Khory, Professor of Politics, Mount Holyoke College

“This wonderful book is absolutely indispensable for understanding Pakistan’s democracy, and all of the main actors and interests involved. The various authors manage very effectively to combine deep knowledge of Pakistan’s political parties, social groups, and interests, with the comparative breadth to put everything into broader theoretical perspective.”

—Steven Wilkinson, Henry R. Luce Director, The Whitney & Betty MacMillan Center for International & Area Studies; Nilekani Professor of India & South Asian Studies; and professor of political science & international affairs, Yale University