Oxford University Press (OUP) published five new books, the details of which are as follows.
Candles in the Dark
Successful Organisations in Pakistan’s Weak Institutional Environment
Mahmood Ali Ayub and Syed Turab Hussain
This book explains how some entities can survive and flourish in an institutional environment that is both fragile and hostile. Despite daunting odds, some institutions have managed to succeed and effectively deliver core services, earn legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, and forge resilience in the face of an otherwise tumultuous and prohibitive operational context. Nine Pakistani institutions from the public and private sectors, generally regarded as successful, have been selected for this research. These include the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Motorway Police, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Punjab Education Foundation, Edhi Foundation, ShaukatKhanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, and Rescue 1122.
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Conflict, Extremism, and Resistance to Modernity
Riaz Mohammad Khan
This book surveys the conflict in Afghanistan from Pakistan’s point of view and analyzes the roots of that country’s ambiguous policy—supporting the United States on one hand and showing empathy for the Afghan Taliban on the other. The author, a former foreign secretary of Pakistan, considers a broad range of events and interweaves his own experiences and perspectives into the larger narrative of the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship. He examines the development of Afghanistan and surveys the interests of external powers both there and in Pakistan. He discusses the rise of extremism and religious militancy in Pakistan and its links with ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan.
Intikhab-e-Kalam: Tilok Chand Mehroom
Compiled by MoinuddinAqeel
This is a representative selection of Tilok Chand Mehroom’s poetry. With no formal training or instruction and very limited access to literary works, it is remarkable that he developed a love for poetry and achieved acclaim as a poet himself. Mehroom wrote poems reflecting his disenchantment with the ephemerality of life and the instability of relationships. The most famous of these is ‘Ashk-e-Hasrat’ (part of his collection entitled Toofan-e-Gham). Mehroom’s first major publication was Ganj-e-Ma’ani which contained a rich variety of poems.
Intikhab-e-Kalam: ShakaibJalali
Compiled by Tanzeem-ul-Firdous
This is a representative selection of ShakaibJalali’s poetry. His style of writing ghazals is distinctive because of his unique diction. In his works, grief and sorrow are mixed with the feelings of rebellion and anxiety, further emphasizing the unique character of his ghazals. He also wrote poetry in other genres, such as nazams, rubaiyat,and qataat. This selection consists of his essential and best known poems.
Separatism in East Pakistan
A Study of Failed Leadership
Rizwan Ullah Kokab
This book provides an academic perspective on the Bengali nationalist movement, the seeds of which were sown in the 1940s. Being an original work by the author, the book aims to record the growth of the Bengali nationalist movement and shortcomings of Pakistani leaders in accommodating it. This scholarly empirical appraisal is a vital addition to the available literature on post-Partition history of the events leading from 1947 up to the breaking up of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Published in Daily Times, April 2nd 2018.