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Established as a homeland for India’s Muslims in 1947, Pakistan has had a tumultuous history in the vortex of global politics during the Cold War and its enduring aftermath. Located at the crossroads of geography and history, the future of Pakistan is of critical importance to international peace and security. Combining riveting narrative with incisive analysis, Ayesha Jalal constructs her biography of this Muslim nation from its conception as an idea to the grim realities of its present. She shows how the vexed relationship with the United States of America and regional rivalries with India and Afghanistan have accentuated Pakistan’s domestic dilemmas. Attentive to the global context, Jalal’s highly original insider’s perspective illuminates the democratic struggles of the country’s diverse people against military authoritarianism and religious extremism.

Using hitherto unused sources, The Struggle for Pakistan sheds new light on the rise of military dominance in the 1950s, the breakaway of Bangladesh in 1971, and the populist politics of the 1970s. It offers fresh insights into the intertwining of military dictatorship and state-sponsored Islamization in the decades following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Providing a careful assessment of the threats posed by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, the book argues that the battle for the soul of Pakistan is by no means over as the US withdraws from Afghanistan. The rich cultural repertoire of the regions of Pakistan supplies resources that aid the forces of federalism and democracy.