Book Review: "The Battle for Pakistan – The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood" by Shuja Nawaz

Book Review: "The Battle for Pakistan – The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood" by Shuja Nawaz

The author, Shuja Nawaz, is a Washington-based analyst, and has also written several books. Among those books, “Crossed swords” holds special significance.

In this book- The Battle for Pakistan- the author has revealed some astonishing facts, infuriating some sections of the country. It was a chief reason why its launch was blocked in the country by the authorities. On the other hand, it has drawn worldwide attention, as he has touched upon sensitive issues.

Shuja calls the U.S-Pakistan relationship abusive in nature. Both countries are locked in confrontation without breaking a new way. Nonetheless, he argues that Pakistan can play a significant security and development part in South Asia along with USA partnership, while maintaining good relations with its immediate neighbors, specifically China. He argues that USA cannot simply ignore Pakistan’s apprehensions and reservations about India, urging USA policymakers not to dismiss Islamabad’s India-centric approach as mere paranoia.

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He ends by looking at the future of US-Pakistan relations: “History has taught us that crises will continue to erupt in the Arc of Instability that extends from Turkey to Indonesia. Who knows when the U.S. may need Pakistan on its side again?”

He also discusses China-Pak relations in detail. There is a growing perception of a boss-client relationship, which he asserts as untrue, therefore he underscores the need for both countries to dispel the impression that most of China’s investments in Pakistan are loans. Shuja gives a piece of advice to Islamabad that it must not present China as an alternative to the USA and the West, and reshape its regional and global alliances in accordance with such relationship needs.

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He also throws light on the Mumbai attacks of 2008. He remains overly careful in analyzing attacks. Without blaming any side, he quotes ISI then Chief Ahmed Pasha as saying, “these were our guys but not our operation”

The book also surfaces a startling revelation about covert coup de’tat, planned by then DG ISI, Zaheer-ul-Islam, in 2014. However, such operations need support from the top hierarchy, but he could not get such. Hence, such efforts failed.

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In the last, the book also advises Islamabad to understand that in the long run, only economic development, and social and political progress will strengthen its security. It means that Pakistan has to stop being a security state. It must pay attention to other avenues in order to build a relationship of trust with India, such as trade, and culture.