The sixth most populous country in the world and the only Islamic nation officially possessing nuclear weapons, Pakistan is once again in crisis. The government, an incompetent, unpopular administration where nepotism reigns, is appealing to the International Monetary Fund, Saudi Arabia, and China to negotiate oil prices, exchange rates, and agricultural commodity prices. A US ally, relations between the countries are tense: 70% of Pakistanis view the United States as a military threat. Controversial and provocative, Pakistani author Tariq Ali combines reflection and culture to portray the current political landscape of his home country and the growing tension with the United States. In DUEL, Tariq reveals all the nuances of this delicate connection, shedding light and new analytical perspectives on the country's crisis. An oracle of Pakistan's collapse for nearly four decades, he gathers facts and historical data and charts, with insight and literary verve, the path to the abyss. Tariq shows how the leaders who ruled Pakistan after independence in 1947 failed to win the people's trust, making it easy for the military to seize power. Ali also reveals the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan for Pakistani cities: the clandestine drug and arms trade. In a comprehensive and balanced analysis, the author also discusses solutions to these impasses: land reform, freedom of expression, and women's rights. In DUEL, Ali combines a deep understanding of the country's history with extensive research—analyzing recent and not-so-recent achievements in national and international politics—and ruthless political judgment to weigh the perspectives of those vying for power today. The labyrinthine path between a secure world and global conflagration passes through Pakistan.
