Hybrid Rule in Pakistan

Zahid Hussain

For quite some years, the author has penned a regular column for Dawn’s op-ed pages on the political situation of Pakistan. This is a collection of several years’ worth of such writings, dating from 2017 to 2020. Since Pakistan creation, its governance history has transitioned back and forth between military regimes and civilian rule, and Hussain keeps this experimentation with hybrid rule — and its consequences — as the focus of the columns collated here.

Shattered Empire

Abia Asif

Coming from a fresh, new voice on the poetry front, this collection of 24 poems in free verse reflects a mature grasp of nuance and language. Although written from the perspective of the teenager she is, Asif’s themes will resonate with all ages. Take, for instance, these lines from ‘Log Kiya Kahain Gai’ [What Will People Say]: “Just stay far away from our dreams and desires/ And we shall spread the tales of your generosity all over the lands.”

Policing Insights: Article on Police and Policing in Pakistan and Beyond

J.J. Baloch

This critical review of contemporary discourses on the police, and policing, aims to encompass all aspects of modern law enforcement in Pakistan. The author is a decorated officer with more than two decades of experience in the field and is currently deputy inspector general in Gwadar. His book proffers a wealth of knowledge that will be particularly useful to persons enrolled in basic level police training.

Unravelling Gordian Knots: The Works and Worlds of Dr Ishrat Husain

Sibtain Naqvi

Economist, former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and former dean of IBA, Karachi, Dr Ishrat Husain also serves as national adviser for institutional reforms and austerity. This biography looks at his life from early days spent in a refugee camp after Partition, to tenures in renowned financial and academic institutions and also touches upon key moments in national history.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, April 10th, 2022