Unenviably Yours

Hussain takes us through the genesis of what he calls Pakistan’s ‘Unholy Alliance’ between Islamic militants and the military, and dwells on the post-9/11 Musharraf dilemma: of ostensibly supporting the US in the gwot and yet pandering to the potent rightwing religious constituency. It’s a legacy he inherited from his predecessors. Hussain’s candour is commendable and, despite its warts, this is a book that persuasively illuminates the dissonances inherent to Pakistan’s current predicament.