NON-FICTION: A SOLDIER’S NATION |
An Incredible Journey of Pakistan: Evolution, Landmark Events and Their ImpactBy Lt Gen (Retd) Talat MasoodParamount Books (Pvt) LtdISBN: 978-627-310419-5256pp.
The introduction to An Incredible Journey of Pakistan: Evolution, Landmark Events and Their Impact, contains a blunt truth. Lt Gen (Retd) Talat Masood, the author, writes that, when he came to Pakistan from Hyderabad Deccan, he thought it would be a simple matter to build a new country and had not imagined “how many hurdles would be in our way.”
Furthermore, despite being a military man, he admits that a “skewed” civil-military balance has retarded the strengthening of civilian institutions and “distorted” the decision-making process.
Lt Gen Masood took part in the 1965 war and opines that it was not planned well by Pakistan. The people of India-occupied Kashmir did not revolt against Indian occupation as was expected then, though the Pakistan Army fought back well once the Indians crossed the international border. The author’s battalion was part of the 6th Armoured Division and was involved in one of the most crucial battles — Chawinda — where the enemy lost over 100 tanks.
The author offers two reasons for Pakistan’s superior performance during that battle: one, “the spirit and courage of junior officers and men”, and two, the superior quality of Pakistan’s US-supplied arms, as India, by contrast, used Soviet-made weapons.
Lt Gen (retd) Talat Masood’s memoirs are a military man’s recollections about his own idealism and professional journey as well as an honest assessment of the events and historic milestones that shaped Pakistan
Lt Gen (retd) Talat Masood’s memoirs are a military man’s recollections about his own idealism and professional journey as well as an honest assessment of the events and historic milestones that shaped Pakistan
The war was, however, a setback for President Gen Ayub Khan, according to the author, and he adds that the military leadership was “very West-Pakistan-centric”, and the air force was not taken into “full confidence” throughout the conflict. The book dwells at length on the disastrous consequences of the war and the effect of sanctions imposed after the war by the US and other Western countries. It also highlights the welcome outcome of these sanctions: Pakistan began developing its war industry with Chinese help.
A great admirer of China, Lt Gen Masood provides details of the Chinese contribution to the development of Pakistan’s defence industry. He focuses, in particular, on the Al Khalid tank which, according to him, was designed specifically to meet Pakistan’s needs and met ‘world-class’ standards in terms of “firepower, mobility, protection and survivability.”
The author says he felt proud that, with Chinese assistance, he initiated and completed several important defence products and set up manufacturing lines. China, he writes, “is clearly one country that has not only built Pakistan’s weapons and equipment but has been a major contributor in building Pakistan’s defence industrial capacity.”
He dwells at length on China’s Cultural Revolution and says that, in terms of infrastructure and human development, “they made more progress in the subsequent 30 years than they had done in the thousand years that preceded it” — an astonishing comment about a country, indeed, a civilisation — that gave mankind paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass.
However, few will disagree with the author when he gives credit to Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader after Mao Zedong, for his policy of “harnessing China’s energies with the introduction of capitalist practices.” Here, one cannot but recall Xiaoping’s famous retort when he was criticised for mixing capitalism with his reforms, which were undoubtedly giving results: “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.”
One point that Masood dwells on at length is the immense damage done to society by politicians who use the chaos and infighting in Afghanistan to whip up radical ideas among the youth. Millions — literally millions — of Afghan refugees had poured into Pakistan and it occurred to Gen Zia, among others, to don the robe of an anti-Soviet crusader to win Western applause.
One point that Masood dwells on at length is the immense damage done to society by politicians who use the chaos and infighting in Afghanistan to whip up radical ideas among the youth. Millions — literally millions — of Afghan refugees had poured into Pakistan and it occurred to Gen Zia, among others, to don the robe of an anti-Soviet crusader to win Western applause.
Still, according to Masood, it was Mao who deserves the credit “for the unification of China by defeating the nationalist forces, establishing the People’s Republic and leading the most radical social revolution in human history.”
Today, according to the author, “China is a very different country. It is the world’s second-largest economy, an industrial powerhouse. It has global interests and aspirations. Chinese state-owned manufacturers have set their sights on high-value weapons systems and state-of-the-art arms technology.” He strikes a realistic tone when he says it would not be fair to expect China to offer weapons and equipment at concessional terms. “China is now in a different league, where it has to protect its national interests by retaining control of cutting-edge technologies.”
Providence seemed to be behind the author’s appointment in 1977 as director of projects for the Pakistan Ordnance Factories when he was a colonel. This would later prove to be an asset during his subsequent relationship with the country’s defence industry, as China once again helped Pakistan.
One example of Pakistan-China defence cooperation is the FC-1 Xiaolong. It is a single-engine supersonic plane, developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It is known in Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder.
While the chapter titled ‘Reclaiming Jinnah’s version’ does nothing but catch your attention, the latter chapters contain some of his most biting criticisms of the military leadership, especially of Gen Ziaul Haq’s policies that supported anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan. The US helped Zia in this enterprise “unabashedly” and “promoted radical Islam as a bastion against godless communism.”
One point that Masood dwells on at length is the immense damage done to society by politicians who use the chaos and infighting in Afghanistan to whip up radical ideas among the youth. Millions — literally millions — of Afghan refugees had poured into Pakistan and it occurred to Gen Zia, among others, to don the robe of an anti-Soviet crusader to win Western applause.
Similarly, madressahs [religious seminaries] come under harsh criticism from the author, who holds them responsible for radicalising religious education. Madressahs have traditionally played a commendable role in South Asian society but, under Gen Zia in the 1980s, the abuse of religious terminology for political purposes “gave a fillip” to the growth of jihadi organisations, according to the author.
That the author is remarkably intelligent is evident not only from his academic successes but from the recognition he received from military institutions at home and abroad. The chapter ‘Personal milestones and key events’ deserves to be read for the fragrance of his innocence. This fragrance would turn him into a passionate soldier for Pakistan — figuratively and literally. The man who shook him to the core had a charisma of his own, and was often referred to as having “razor sharp intelligence” and “armed to the teeth with the art of statesmanship” — Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The author saw the Quaid-i-Azam when he visited Hyderabad, the homonymous capital of the state of Hyderabad and the biggest princely state of British India. The passage is appealing because it is written in the first person: “I am an impressionable adolescent, aware that India is on the brink of a new era and that India’s Muslims are looking for a homeland of their own. I begin to see Jinnah’s vision as a great change in India, full of promise for people like me who had mobilised from all over India to help create Pakistan, including the area now Bangladesh.”
On the whole, the book is characterised by objectivity, for the author has the courage to recognise not only his own shortcomings but of the institution he loves the most.
The reviewer is Dawn’s External Ombudsman and an author
Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, March 29th, 2026