This book sets out an unconventional literary history of progressive Urdu poetry by Pakistani women in the twentieth century. It introduces the resilient voices of poets who tread a fine line between the secular and sacred in an Islamic society to articulate a new feminist aesthetic.

This book identifies and analyzes the impact of the various ways in which local people are responding, taking stands, recapturing their culture, and saying 'stop' to the violent extremism that has manifested over the past decade (even longer) in Pakistan. Local groups throughout Pakistan are engaging in various kinds of social negotiations and actions to lessen the violence that has plagued the country since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which let loose abarrage of violence that overflowed into its borders. In so many ways, Pakistanis are engaging in powerful actions that transform how people think about their own society, impeding extremists' rants while acting on 'envisioning alternative futures'. This book, hence, focuses on finding the sparks ofhope that local people are creating to counter violent extremism based on close ethnographic study of ground realities about not only what people are doing but why they are selecting these kinds of actions, how they are creating alternative narratives about culture and identity, and their vision of a future without violence. This book is also designed to celebrate what is flourishing in cultural performances, music, social activism, and the like in Pakistan today because of people's commitmentto take stands against extremism.

The first book to explore the modern history of Islam in South Asia The first modern state to be founded in the name of Islam, Pakistan was the largest Muslim country in the world at the time of its establishment in 1947. Today it is the second-most populous, after Indonesia. Islam in Pakistan is the first comprehensive book to explore Islam's evolution in this region over the past century and a half, from the British colonial era to the present day. Muhammad Qasim Zaman presents a rich historical account of this major Muslim nation, insights into the rise and gradual decline of Islamic modernist thought in the South Asian region, and an understanding of how Islam has fared in the contemporary world. Much attention has been given to Pakistan's role in sustaining the Afghan struggle against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, in the growth of the Taliban in the 1990s, and in the War on Terror after 9/11. But as Zaman shows, the nation's significance in matters relating to Islam has much deeper roots. Since the late nineteenth century, South Asia has witnessed important initiatives toward rethinking core Islamic texts and traditions in the interest of their compatibility with the imperatives of modern life. Traditionalist scholars and their institutions, too, have had a prominent presence in the region, as have Islamism and Sufism. Pakistan did not merely inherit these and other aspects of Islam. Rather, it has been and remains a site of intense contestation over Islam's public place, meaning, and interpretation. Examining how facets of Islam have been pivotal in Pakistani history, Islam in Pakistan offers sweeping perspectives on what constitutes an Islamic state.

Providing empirical evidence on the lives of young British-born Pakistanis, The New British also reveals fascinating insights into the Pakistani community more generally. Using Bradford as a case study, Ikhlaq Din focuses on the relationship between young boys and girls, their parents, and the Pakistani community. He discusses various issues that are important to young people, such as: their experience of school; their aspirations; their identity; their attitude to community; their relationships with parents; the tensions between Islam and popular culture and the role Islam plays in the wider Pakistani community. The impact of broader national and international events such as 9/11 and 7/7 on the lives of young British-born Pakistanis is also considered.

There are millions of Pakistanis living throughout the world, and from time to time they will need medical, spiritual, and psychological care. This can only be successfully given if their culture is understood. My thought is that I begin my book, Understanding Pakistani Culture, with an explanation that I am from Pakistan and I now live in the United States. I am a spiritual counselor who visits patients in hospitals to help them, and sometimes I encounter patients born in Pakistan. Because their customs are often so different from US customs, those wishing to help do not understand their needs. My thought has been to write a book about Pakistani customs to bring forward the understanding.

This is the first English-language survey of Pakistan’s socio-economic evolution. Mohammad Qadeer gives an essential overview of social and cultural transformation in Pakistan since independence, which is crucial to understanding Pakistan’s likely future direction. Pakistan examines how tradition and family life continue to contribute long term stability, and explores the areas where very rapid changes are taking place: large population increase, urbanization, economic development, and the nature of civil society and the state. It offers an insightful view into Pakistan, exploring the wide range of ethnic groups, the countryside, religion and community, and popular culture and national identity. It concludes by discussing the likely future social development in Pakistan, captivating students and academics interested in Pakistan and multiculturalism. Qadeer’s impressive work is a comprehensive examination of social and cultural forces in Pakistani society, and is an important resource for anyone wanting to understand contemporary Pakistan.

With a population of 190 million, Pakistan is strategically located at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and has the second largest Muslim population in the world. The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Pakistan provides an in-depth and comprehensive coverage of issues from identity and the creation of Pakistan in 1947 to its external relations as well as its domestic social, economic and political issues and challenges. The Handbook is divided into the following sections: • Economy and development • External relations and security • Foundations and identity • Islam and Islamization • Military and jihad • Politics and institutions • Social issues The Handbook explains the reasons why Pakistan is so often at the forefront of our daily news intake, with a focus on religious and political factors. It asks questions regarding the institutions and political parties which govern Pakistan and provides an insight into the relationships which the country has forged since its creation, culminating in a discussion of the state’s involvement in conflict. Covering a range of topics, this Handbook offers a wide range of perspectives on Pakistan. Bringing together a group of leading international scholars on Pakistan, the Handbook is a cutting-edge and interdisciplinary resource for those interested in studying Pakistani politics, economics, culture and society and South Asian Studies.

When compared to studies of the Indian diaspora, or even in the wider framework of diaspora studies, there is relatively meagre research about the Pakistani diaspora. This collection is the first to bring together the extant literature and provide both a historical and contemporary set of accounts. It is primarily about the processes associated with migration and settlement as seen from the receiving end. Even though Roger Ballard and Junaid Rana offer accounts of Pakistan's political economy, it is only in Frances Watkins chapter that migrant voices within Pakistan themselves speak. Even in this chapter their life stories are focused on the impact of migration. Though, given the transnational frame in which many Pakistani diasporic communities live, it is not really possible to solely focus on the place of settlement. Indeed, the shift from migration studies to transnational or diaspora research reflects the empirical reality of a non-linear dynamics inherent in migratory movements. Historically the notion that people move and settle in a sequential and traceable manner has been rightly disputed and the circular nature of migratory movements has come to the fore. Even though the issues that are raised in the majority of the chapters are concerned with adaptation and change in new environments, these are always linked or referenced to a transnational frame.

The military rule of General Zia ul-Haq, former President of Pakistan, had significant political repercussions for the country. Islamization policies were far more pronounced and control over women became the key marker of the state's adherence to religious norms. Women's rights activists mobilized as a result, campaigning to reverse oppressive policies and redefine the relationship between state, society and Islam. Their calls for a liberal democracy led them to be targeted and suppressed. This book is a history of the modern women's movement in Pakistan. The research is based on documents from the Women's Action Forum archives, court judgments on relevant cases, as well as interviews with activists, lawyers and judges and analysis of newspapers and magazines. Ayesha Khan argues that the demand for a secular state and resistance to Islamization should not be misunderstood as Pakistani women sympathizing with a western agenda. Rather, their work is a crucial contribution to the evolution of the Pakistani state. The book outlines the discriminatory laws and policies that triggered domestic and international outcry, landmark cases of sexual violence that rallied women activists together and the important breakthroughs that enhanced women's rights. At a time when the women's movement in Pakistan is in danger of shrinking, this book highlights its historic significance and its continued relevance today.