Fortunately, a leading scholar of Pakistan, Prof Dr Sikandar Hayat, has put together some useful literature to understand Pakistan through his edited book Pakistan Studies: A Book of Readings, though essentially meant for students taking a compulsory course of Pakistan Studies in college and universities in the country. Dr Hayat is a devoted teacher and committed social scientist, with a lot of experience and service at many prestigious institutions, including Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, National School of Public Policy, Lahore, and currently contributing as Dean Faculty of Social Sciences at the Forman Christian College University, Lahore. Above all, he has been one of the founding faculty member of the Department of Pakistan Studies at the Quaid-i-Azam university, back in 1973. Thus, no one would know the growth and development of Pakistan Studies better than him. Indeed, this helped him in bringing together so many eminent scholars in their respective fields of knowledge on one platform – to produce a most desired work on Pakistan Studies.
The book starts with an introduction of the authors and the subject matter. Chapter 1, “Genesis of Pakistan,” by Dr Hayat himself as a historian, discusses personalities, events, and their impact on developments leading to the emergence of Pakistan. In the process, it covers all major landmarks of the Pakistan movement and the ultimate achievement of Pakistan, indeed a succinct summary of all that is relevant and important for the purpose. Chapter 2, “Ancient Civilisations of Pakistan,” by Dr Farzand Masih, an archaeologist, provides detailed information on the deep past of the areas comprising Pakistan today. It is very important to familiarise our students with the ancient heritage of Pakistan so that they can relate to the history of this region and can own it. The chapter covers all the relevant aspects of the Indus Valley Civilisation and Gandhara Civilisation. Chapter 3, “Land and People of Pakistan,” by Kashif Shafique, a geographer, analyses the geographical and demographic dynamics of Pakistan, highlighting in particular their relationship as it affects the growth and development of the country. Chapter 4, “Politics and Government in Pakistan,” by Dr Muhammad Younis, a political scientist, examines the political and constitutional development and performance of various governments since the inception of Pakistan, with all their essential features, successes and failures. Chapter 5 “Economic Development in Pakistan,” by Dr Uzma Hanif, an economist, offers a critical analysis of economic development in Pakistan. The chapter explores the future prospects of growth in Pakistan’s economy, especially with regard to CPEC and, in the process, suggests a number of reforms to boost the economy.
Chapter 6, “Society and Culture of Pakistan,” by Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra, an intellectual historian, highlights commonalities and shared values in the diversity and plurality of Pakistan’s culture. It goes on to show that culture and society are not synonymous, though they are intertwined. Indeed, the society grows through its cultural expressions. Chapter 7, “Foreign Policy of Pakistan,” by Dr Saeed Shafqat, a political scientist and public policy specialist, evaluates the distinct phases of Pakistan’s foreign policy in a continuity and change paradigm, with all its internal and external dynamics affecting it. The thrust of the main argument is that the foreign relations of Pakistan, like any other country in the world, are essentially a product of its domestic compulsions and concerns. Chapter 8, “Women and Minorities in Pakistan,” by Dr Sara Rizvi Jafree, a sociologist, suggests that women and minorities together constitute the major bulk of the population, and goes on to discuss at length their status and standing in the society: the progress made and the challenges and difficulties ahead. Apart from women, the chapter concentrates on ethnic minorities, religious minorities, refugees, internally displaced people, transgender communities and people with special needs. Chapter 9, the last chapter, “Languages and Literature in Pakistan,” by Dr Nukhbah Taj Langah, a literature professor, takes stock of literary developments in the country and highlights the role and relevance of its major languages, both national and regional, in this regard. The regional languages included are Balochi, Punjabi, Pashto, Saraiki, and Sindhi.
The book under review is a commendable effort by these specialists in their respective fields. Dr Sikandar Hayat, as an editor, does a commendable job in bringing historians, sociologist, economist, political scientist, linguist, geographer and archaeologist together, indeed editing the volume for its uniformity and standardisation as one integrated, wholesome book for the students of Pakistan Studies. Interestingly, all the contributions are from Forman Christian College University, Lahore, and thus provide a fine example of institutional collaborative research. It is hoped that other universities will, likewise, encourage collaborative research in their universities.
One area which has not been sufficiently dealt with, however, is that of constitutional and legal developments in Pakistan. In the face of the current crisis, there is a dire need to make our students at young age aware of the role and relevance of a constitution and the need for the nation’s commitment to it. Pakistan has a long history of struggling with a viable and stable constitution. Academia is an important medium through which we can inculcate civic education, love for rule of law, and commitment to a constitution. Therefore, I would urge the editor of this book, Dr Hayat, that, whenever this book is revised for its next edition, a separate chapter should be included on the constitutional development in Pakistan.
To conclude, one must emphasise that it is a good read and a valuable work. I strongly recommend it to the teachers and students of Pakistan Studies at all levels to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the contributing authors. They have produced an easy, accessible and helpful book on the subject.