The Military and Denied Development in the Pakistani Punjab: An Eroding Social Consensus (2014)

Some of our members may be interested in this new title, publishing the results of a research project for which Ladakh Studies member Sohaib Bodla acted as researcher alongside Shahrukh Rafi Kha and Aisim Sajjad Akhtar. The title is of interest to students, researchers and academics operating in development studies including in the fields of economics, history, sociology and political science, as well as those with an interest in the military and development.

The book focuses on the retrogressive agrarian interventions by the Pakistani military in rural Punjab and explores the social resentment and resistance it triggered, potentially undermining the consensus on a security state in Pakistan. Set against the overbearing and socially unjust role of the military in Pakistan’s economy, this book documents a breakdown in the accepted function of the military beyond its constitutionally mandated role of defence. Accompanying earlier work on military involvement in industry, commerce, finance and real estate, the authors’ research contributes to a wider understanding of military intervention, revealing its hand in various sectors of the economy and, consequently, its gains in power and economic autonomy.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please follow the link below:

http://www.anthempress.com/the-military-and-denied-development-in-the-pakistani-punjab

The book is published by Anthem Press and retails at £60 / US$99.

Author Details

Shahrukh Rafi Khan is a Visiting Professor of economics at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Aasim Sajjad Akhtar is Assistant Professor of political economy at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Sohaib Bodla is currently working as a freelance writer and researcher, and as a volunteer for NGOs including the Dutch development organization, Cordaid.