ABSTRACT

This book explains the origins and nature of terrorism in Pakistan and examines the social, political and economic factors that have contributed to the rise of political violence there.

Since 9/11, the state of Pakistan has come to be regarded as the epicentre of terrorist activity committed in the name of Islam. The central argument of this volume suggests that terrorism in Pakistan has, in essence, been manufactured to suit the interests of mundane political and class interests and effectively debunks the myth of 'Islamic terrorism'. A logical consequence of this argument is that the most effective way of combating terrorism in Pakistan lies in addressing the underlying political, social and economic problems facing the country.

After exploring the root causes of terrorism in Pakistan, the author goes on to relate the historical narrative of the development of the Pakistani state to the theories and questions raised by Critical Terrorism Studies (CTS) scholars. The book will therefore make an important contribution to CTS scholarship as well as presenting an analysis of the many complex factors that have shaped the rise of Pakistani terrorism.

This book will be of great interest to students of Critical Terrorism Studies, Asian history and politics, Security Studies and IR in general.

chapter |13 pages

Introduction

Overview and theory

chapter |16 pages

Islam in Pakistan

An overview

chapter |18 pages

The colonial legacy and the making of Pakistan

Class, regionalism and factional politics

chapter |17 pages

Birth pains

The decline of democracy, sectarian violence and the intractable problem of Kashmir, 1947–1958

chapter |19 pages

Jinnah's dream fades

Dictatorship, state terrorism and the failure of secularism, 1958–1977

chapter |17 pages

The turning point

Zia ul-Haq and the Islamization of Pakistan, 1977–1988

chapter |20 pages

Reaping the whirlwind

Politics, terrorism in Kashmir and sectarian violence, 1988–2000

chapter |23 pages

The fallout from the US invasion of Afghanistan

Politics, terrorism and sectarian violence in Pakistan since 9/11

chapter |8 pages

Conclusion

Critical Terrorism Studies, Islam and the making of terrorism in Pakistan