TRANSFORMING PAKISTAN

Transforming Pakistan: Ways out of Instability



Transforming Pakistan: Ways out of Instability

Transforming Pakistan: Ways out of Instability

Introduction

This paper is reviewing the book Transforming Pakistan: Ways out of Instability written by Hilary Synnott and give a detail summary. It describes how successive military and civilian governments have made use of Islam and Kashmir, 'the unfinished business of Partition,' for political purposes. It also examines the role of the army and of its intelligence service, the ISI.

Summary

Hilary Synnott points that Pakistan has been termed a persistently failing state; that is, a state that exhibits many of the features of a 'failed state' but that somehow manages not to collapse and disintegrate. As doyen of South Asia Stephen Cohen wrote in 2002, the Pakistani state has been failing for many years and the collapse of the state would 'be a multidimensional geostrategic calamity, generating tremendous uncertainties', but 'it is simply too big and potentially too dangerous for the international community to allow it simply to fail'. Once again, analysts fear that Pakistan is on the verge of disaster and even cautious voices are airing the possibility that this time the state may be unable to draw back from the edge of the abyss. (Hilary, 2009)

How does this contribute to knowledge in the field?

Hilary Synnott draws on his experience in Pakistan to indicate that any strategy for addressing the country's problems requires a good understanding of its turbulent history, the failings of successive governments and the weaknesses of core institutions. He recounts the functioning of Pakistan's army and its intelligence service as being in a power-play with the government. He examines at how the army has used beliefs and the Kashmir position to leverage the security of Pakistan and the wider world. Synnott looks into expansion in Pakistan's tribal territories that were not appreciated in the West even though they held a deep implication for regional and worldwide security. He furthermore analyzes at the implication of past events - particularly since 11 September 2001 - in the developing disapprove that numerous Pakistanis feel in the direction of the West today. (Hilary, 2009)

Where does Pakistan proceed from here? Believing that there are no simple answers, Synnott explores how some might finally construct lasting connections with Pakistan, and help to stabilize a homeland that has struggled with disorganized government and important insecurity since self-reliance in 1947.

Synnott starts with some new ideas of that relationship. Synnott's idea does add a new element to the logic of the interaction between constancy operating at the strategic and sub-strategic levels. The point is often made in strategic writings that the greater the stability of the 'strategic' balance of terror, the lower the stability of the overall balance, at its lower levels of violence.” It is important to make this point to illustrate Synnott's argument. Synnott seems to say that the logic of the stability-instability hypothesis may work in reverse as well. It is helpful to go back to his own words: “But one could indicate precisely the ...