Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within, Shuja Nawaz,

published by Oxford University Press, Karachi, 2008, pp. i-xxvii, 599. Price Rs.
2500.00
Shuja Nawaz was born in a military family. He is a political and strategic
analyst. He writes for newspaper and gives analysis on current issues on
Radio and Television. He studied at Gordon College, Rawalpindi, where he
obtained a degree of B.A in Economics and English Literature and the
Graduate School of Journalism of Columbia University in New York. He wrote
many books his latest book is Crossed swards: Pakistan, its Army, and the
Wars Within that is under review. He discussed about the Pakistans army,
its operations and tried to portray the image of Pakistans soliders in
harmony and warfare.
There is a gigantic role of Pakistan Army, soldiers and military in peace and war
circumstances of Pakistan. The book under review is to understand the role of army
and its leadership in the developing region. There is a difference in yesterdays
army and todays army of Pakistan, young but committed officers not fully skilled as
compared with todays army which is much better trained. Army run into those
state of affairs for it was not trained, taking part in political and social society.
Author had tried to shed light on vital themes to help and understand why things
have turned out the way they have. This book brings light to the growth and
development of Pakistan and armys affiliation with United States. The book is based
on discussions with attending and retired army officers and personal experience as
a newsman of Pakistan.

While going through the study and analysis of the interference of the
Pakistan Army in the democratic schedule and the system of government
running presented in the book by the author. He fully persuades the readers
by providing the evidences, and over 30 years of research and analysis. This
book Crossed Swords has objectives multiple. The historical background of
the Sub-Continent and role of the Pakistan army in the country's politics as
well as its tempestuous relationship with the United States are openly
discussed with references. His first book Journeys is a patriotic book and
his feelings and affection are widely expressed about his homeland and his
other book FATA a most dangerous place describes the conditions of
Federally Administrative Tribal Areas which keep their own self-ruled separate
government.
Coming back to Crossed Swords, in his work, he successfully evidenced
the historical footprints of Sub-Continent from Aryan theory to the
establishment of Pakistan, including the World Wars. He clearly manifests the
vital events. Next, he explains the shabby birth of Pakistan Army which came
into being with Pakistan on 14th of August, 1947 with its weak logistical
infrastructure. Newly born army was in severe crisis due to the dynamics of
partition and revolts by the British and the Hindus. Although at the time of
independence, Jinnah realized the misconceptions of Army so he once
cleared their motto as they are watchdogs of the country but still the
situation went in contrast with Jinnahs thoughts. The policies and functions
of Pakistan Army were outlined by Liaquat Ali Khan.

The author argues on conflict of Kashmir with troubles in Poonch, Dogras

troops and the providing of the ammo by Pakistan which is the caused that
gradually started the interference of the army in the government. Colonel
Akbar Khan of the Pakistan Army took action plan and the Colonel Sher Khan,
deputy director of Military Intelligence (MI) assessed the Kashmirs situation
to the Intelligence Bureau. With the passage of time, the Indian Army started
to access in Kashmir which caused the war to begin, but it was shot down
due to the dangers of possibility of war between Pakistan and India.
According to Akbar Khan, the conflict of Kashmir was being run by Azad
Forces HQ whose commander was Sher Khan now. Sher Khan reviewed and
planned according to the situation of the conflict. Gracey became CGS and
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army who analyzed the situation
after the moves of India. Pakistan army joined the battle and the war began
to start but it failed due to the restriction of military support by Pakistan
Army and lack of political leadership. Furthermore, Pakistan Air Force played
no role in the war.
Death of Jinnah made the issues more complex and critical and the rotting of
politics started. Provincialism and factional politics came into being. The
author described the Rawalpindi Conspiracy. Liaquat Ali Khan came in action
and started working meanwhile in one of his speeches he was shot dead.
Khwaja Nazimuddin when became the new Prime Minister of the country. The
Prime Minister had to face serious social and political problems in Punjab
which ended up by imposing martial law. Due to army problems, Nazimuddin
lost his prestige and Muhammad Ali Bogra was the new Prime Minister.
The author then discussed the aids and relationship with US, Liaquat Ali Khan
first started the relationships with US in order to benefit Pakistan and started
seeking military aid and afterwards Ayub misunderstood US, in his view, he
thought by providing aid US will not interfere in the internal affairs but the
situation became contrary. US-Pak relation became stronger; Pakistan tried to
seek more aids but failed to understand the US conspiracies.
The situations of the country were also changing day by day. It was late
fifties when Ayub & Mirza both knew that the situation is all set to be
changed, a not very well kept secret as it was discussed with a few American
friends of the two men, Both the men, hugging their positions, were causing
a fateful effect on the countrys politics. It was the second time of Mirza in
the presidential office when major crisis in the country took a wild turn.
Economic crisis of one side, Khan of Kalat announced secession from
Pakistan but Mirza calmed him down through negotiations. Moreover,
conflicts among the civil officers were shaking the system. After getting
extension as a COAS, Ayub was aiming for another one by American help not
only that but to strengthen his position he promoted his various friends
setting a trend of nepotism in army. These actions were damaging the moral
of army, people were questioning about armys unofficial work. Inside
fissures of the army, more favoritism in positions of military & Shia Sunni
conflicts pressurizes Mirza to replace Ayub but until then another extension
was given to Ayub by the unofficial. Countrys law & order situation was out

of hand & Mirza thoughts were to hand over the government to military to
which US signaled as affirmative & in October the country faced its first but
not the last martial law which later was regretted by Mirza as Ayub was
purely in super power & Mirza was in the background. A phone call between
Amjad Ali & Mirza was tapped by the army officials who revealed that Mirza
was all set to pluck Ayub out of the system but before he could execute the
plan he was house arrested & then exiled. Now Mirza, though out of picture
was, Ayub plotted a vendetta against him & various corruption cases were
brought up but Mirza & his son denied them all.
On the other side, setting the game plan for the future, Army was all set to
rebuild the ruins of what the politicians remained. To make the people
believe in him Ayub had a set of plans which included rethinking of the
constitution. He gave some ideas of the constitution which were basically his
set of rules for having more control over everything. US disagreed in the first
run then agreeing afterwards & making an agreement of setting up an air
base of Badabar in Peshawar. Army was expanding & US was in favour for
the aiding it which would settle down the situation of the middle east in
many ways though Ayub noticed that the US help was very waning & the
country has to support itself. Also the US interests were leaning towards
India, a much developed democracy. Pakistanis were keen to know why the
aggressive behavior of India on the borders just started, Ayub was in
constant contact of Kennedy to put India under control but situation got out
of hand when there was a minor battle on the land of Rann of Kutch leading
to operation in Gibraltar in Kashmir which was then became a war but then a
cease-fire was done & the war ended after 14 terrible days. Bhutto earlier
who was just an observer but now a foreign minister while the bloc was in
India to sign the Tashkent Accord Bhutto came back furiously, claiming that
Ayub was set to sell Kashmir in dimes to India. Response from public got
furious & eventually Ayub gave his seat to another C-in-C of that time
General Yahya Khan.
Chapter 11 & 12 are the detailed account of why & how the Dacca fall took
place. He inherited many underlying issues from Ayubs era. After the
general election took place & East Pakistan won with majority all but Bhutto
didnt accepted the fact that East Pakistan should run the government or
otherwise it will be all about them (East Pakistanis). After several talking
sessions Bhutto was still not convinced then the wars within the country:
China, India & US playing their cards, India invading East Pakistan & finally
90,000 soldiers surrendered becoming the prisoners of war in India. A new
map of South East Asia appeared on the globe in which East Pakistan was
then addressed as Bangladesh, with certain secret plans & treacheries in the
puzzle.
Furthermore the author covers an episode of Bhutto's presidency. He defines
Bhuttos position very briefly as a foreign minister and the president in 1972.
He describes both negative and positive sides of his rule in detail. On the
other hand Bhuttos greed for political supremacy in all provinces and for

which he started taking actions and using army, when army came to know
that he is using them, they turned against him, army that make Bhutto feel
'taller than Himalayas', turned him down on grass level and another country
wide martial Law was imposed on 5th of July 1977 by Zia-ul-Haq. He
convicted Bhutto on the charges of murder which led to him to his death.
Then again military ruled Pakistan and this rule watershed the Pakistani
politics.
In this book, author highlights the phase of Zia regime, the maturation of
nuclear power, smuggling of drugs and a growing Culture of Entitlement.
Military was almost in every sector of economy. But Zias unexpected death
in a plane crash left Pakistan shaken and paralyzed. Civil society was torn
apart by sectarian violence. Again author sheds light on the Armys
involvement in making and breaking of domestic political parties which had
altered the balance between civil and military. After Zias eleven years of
dictatorship Pakistan faced two prime ministers and army chiefs come and
go in less than five years of time. A troika of president, prime minister and
army chief was formed who repeated the cycle of eleven years again which
broke Pakistans politics into pieces and the civilian had to re-learn
democratic politics again and again.
The elections were held on the Zias given time and Ms. Bhutto had won in
1988. There were limits set for her. But soon she was out of power because
of her own mistakes and opposition party. In 1990, IJI swept the power by
wining larger seats in the national assembly. After coming in power Nawaz
opposes troika and called it as the understanding between president and
army chief, versus prime minister. In the meantime General Nawaz became
COAS and after his death in 1993 General Waheed took over. He was under
pressures to impose martial law because of Ishaq and Sharifs tense
situation, but he chose to find a civilian solution by sending both to their
homes. Sharifs government was finished in 1993 and another election held.
Again Bhutto gain power and once again she faced problems and soon her
government was dismissed in 1996 with the charges of heavy corruption. In
the elections of 1997 Mian Nawaz came back in power and his first work was
to dissolve 8th amendment by giving prime minister more powers in 13 th
amendment. In the same time, the relation with India was sliding out of hand
on Kashmir issue and testing of nuclear power. General Pervez Musharraf was
made COAS by prime minister but their relation could not work and Pervez
toppled the democratic government by imposing fourth and up till now last
country wide martial law. After taking over author describes the problems
which Pervez had faced and that he was tried to be assassinated a lot of
times. Furthermore, he says that Pervez was unable to continue after his
second coup in 2007 so that he announced elections in 2008.
To conclude the book, he summed-up his thoughts of yesterdays, todays and
tomorrows Army, their battleground, undergoing changes , their way of
thinking and training, acting as safeguard of our homeland and changing our
command system then looking ahead.

The overall nature of the book is analytical. The author gave detail information
of every aspect from the event as it was. Some unseen documents from the
US officials & the GHQ, interviews with the military officers are the proofs the
author relied on talking about reality.
As a whole this book is a valuable addition to the shelves of history. To know
Pakistan is to know his army. The author who was not related to any of the
military post did a great job by putting forward many military defects, the
flaw in our system settled by our leaders, politicians & the army officers.
Though the book is biased at many points as several mishaps & the wrong
doings of the military was justified by the political acts & other smoldering
acts but overall it is a great account to understand Pakistan & its military as
a whole, moreover this book give a right perspective to many events
regarding its references & a complete view of things. With such disclosed
facts & circumstantiated events, this book will be a good reference to anyone
interested in history.
Maha Ansari
Rabiya Amin
Uroosha Jameel
Uzram-ud-Din Khan
Zarreen Malik
Department of Actuarial Sciences & Risk Management
University Of Karachi