Why a religious nation-state fails

Book review of THE BATTLE FOR PAKISTAN: The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood

Covering the period from 2007 to 2019, Shuja Nawaz’s book tells the story of Pakistan’s meaning as a religious nation-state, its civil-military politics, its misalliance with the US and its quarrels with India.

The military has dominated Pakistani politics and society. He blames the US for shoring up its military. Instead, the US should work “with the people” — a vague phrase. If those who vote for Pakistan’s political parties are the people, the US may have felt it had no choice but to support the military, given the frequency with which many of Pakistan’s civilian governments have collapsed. The