Daily Times

 Pakistan Cinema 1947-1997 Second Edition

Introduction by IA Rehman

Mushtaq Gazdar

First published in 1997 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Pakistan, the book features a review of films before Partition, plots of great cinema classics, trivia and cinema lore. It contains anecdotes and reminiscences about the people who shaped the entertainment industry, as well as interviews with directors and producers. But alongside the trivia is a clever synthesis juxtaposing the artistic development of the cinematic world with the overall social development in the country. It shows how the narrow self-interest of the ruling clique clashed with the creative potential of the artistic world, stifling originality and all but destroying the film industry.

Pakistan Left Review Then & Now

Edited by Nadir Cheema & Stephen M Lyon

This volume places the spotlight on an important moment in history. The late 1960s was a time of profound change around the world and the contributions included here from Pakistan’s leftist intellectuals based in London, speak volumes about the implications of the turbulence and the promise for a better future in relation to Pakistan. More than five decades on, the promise of a better tomorrow looks as far away as ever, but the turbulence has returned with a vengeance. The newly written contributions reflect on the significance of this leftist journal at the time and the impact of those ideas and discourses on the politics that came to be.

Pakistan: Alternative Imagings of the Nation State

Edited by Jürgen Schaflechner, Christina Oesterheld & Ayesha Asif

This edited volume combines academic and journalistic writings on Pakistan’s literature, non-Muslim life-worlds and popular culture. The book brings together national and international authors from fields of literary studies, anthropology and cultural studies to critique solidified imaginings of the nation state.

Pakistan: Statecraft & Geopolitics in Today’s World

Shahid Javed Burki

There are several studies on Pakistan’s external relations but none of them paint the picture on as wide a canvas as the one chosen for this work. Most studies deal with bilateral relations, however, the scope of this work is much wider. This book examines Pakistan’s relations with India, China, the United States and Afghanistan and several other countries in a dynamic framework. The author looks at Pakistan’s external relations from several disciplinary angles and explains that it is difficult to fully comprehend economic changes-in particular, the influences on the making of public policy-without understanding the political, social and cultural environment in which Pakistan’s economy functions.

Pakistan’s Radioactive Decade

An Informal Cultural History of the 1970s

Edited by Niilofur Farrukh, Amin Gulgee & John McCarry

This book focuses on the cultural output of the 1970s, the most momentous ten years in the nation’s history. It examines the unprecedented experimentation that occurred in a diverse range of fields, including art, dance, music, television, fashion and advertising, among others. Over forty writers present their reflections of the national scene. The book also includes the interviews of many iconic figures from the 1970s. The catalyst for the book was an exhibition by the same title held at Amin Gulgee Gallery in March 2016.

Co-curators Niilofur Farrukh and Amin Gulgee commissioned 47 artists of different ages to create work inspired by this pivotal decade. News desk