Army's Business Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy by Ayesha Siddiqa Review by: Asad Sayeed Economic

and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 41 (Oct. 13 - 19, 2007), pp. 4112-4114 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40276542 . Accessed: 06/12/2011 07:12
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Reviews
reason for Oneimportant cited inefficiency at are foundations manned the these isthat both personnel, servby pinnacle military that It and saying ing retired.goeswithout a in thosewhohavespent lifetime usedbytheauthor) business dealing military will or with Pakistan. Ine: InsidePakistan's armour, artillery signals not Military and of in rough tumble manThere are threemain elementsof be adept the Military Economy and The is foun- aging MILBUS inPakistan. first the finances, ha Siddiqa; production organising byAyes markets. labour of branches - dealingwith"civilian" dations by Press, operated all three Oxford University founofthese i the thearmed incongruity forces,e, thearmy, navy Thestructural Pakistan, 2007; is to the and the airforce. coursethe army dations where imperative keep Of + 292,19.99. ppxii in hands retired of of in area founda- thelevers power the dominates this also.These from removed to military from tions personnelis far operate everything airlines of Asad Sayeed firms therequirementsa modern fertiliser cement and corporate manufacturing to bakeries, banksand private security sector operatingin an increasingly world. In book under reviewis the most companies theservice in sectors. fact, globalised bookintheEnglish popular language two armysubsidiaries the National to havebeenpublished Pakistan. in Ac- Logistics Cell (NLC) and the Frontier White Elephants - Oxford to publishers Univer- WorksOrganisation cording the (FWO) - have a - thebookhas sold virtual of Pakistan over Press, implications thisinsity monopoly theroadtransport The economic billed are more 10,000 than in three months andconstruction Although copies the industry, respectively. efficiency significant. these since its publication. And this comes Theorigins these of foundationsback as private "foundations", entities go white like the of drama the tothe at British when the after efforts behaveexactly publicsector against backdrop high period, with endofMayinIslamabad when book oftheBritish fund elephants. the Indian a budget Operating a "soft army,welfare their a la launch was was created a shareof thePost-war constraint" Kornai, inefficiencies as organised thepublishers by as tomarket circumvented the government. All Services Fund Reconstruction thatwas arenot discipline they subject by rebailed where launch the could have bequeathed thePakistan which arecontinuously outbypublic to public spaces army, with to beenheldin thecityweretoldby the provided seedfunds theestablish- sources. the for Obviously noincentivebe eventunot to the The of efficient, squander of resources, they military government allow launch. ment theFaujiFoundation. rest the launch held the was in office thefoundations established were Interestingly, ally by tax paidfor the payer. Eventually during in on is there a consensus Pakistan of a non-governmental to martial inthe1970sand where laws organisation a subsequent in sector the audience wascovered and on 1980s. reducing roleof thepublic jam-packed of and because the the front ofmainstream if Thequestion raised that these manufacturing often is services, pages newspapers of as status thefoundations not the morning.course governmentactivities welfare next Of the what are oriented, is the "fuzzy" sector there Ifthe overreacted. book been had released problem? run really After these foundations all entities, is little public criticism has hitherto that and/or evena year establishmenthealth education and facilities retired debate for ago,Pakistan's - readthearmy wouldperhaps re- military resource onthe taken not from by families, capture these place providing apart the lies. And is actedso strongly. thearmy the employment number retired With on of armed foundations. this where rub toa is of end all is in to receiving of that wrong Pakistan, forces personnel. According Siddiqa, The constituency themilitary the whoare sector it is they and this the is season discontentPakistan. theproblem of in withthiswelfare modelis corporate Thelaunch Military could have threefold: themajor of underminedMILBUS. Ine not of beneficiaries being by one, with been timed better. does adequately these but foundations not soldiers, are the Siddiqa not grapple That Pakistan's of behas officer Second, a poor in class. military hada signi- the country thevexedquestion thebonhomie ficant influence the on country's and the economic wherethereis virtually significant tween corporates MILBUS,when no resources common is that encroaches the on How- system welfare hundredsmillions itis clear thelatter of for of knowledge. is She that of welfare "the territorytheformer. states the is ever,this information camouflaged ofpoor Pakistanis, military data and in formulation elite through secrecy lackofaccount- envyof mostcivilians". Third, Siddiqa Pakistani - which her of military establishment the sector wellas as tothe devotes large includes corporate a oftheninth ability the part chapter - are Ine into and the use parliament. Military laysoutinconsi- demonstrating inefficient of re- feudals politicians "bound a derable detail history, the characteristics sources (p 23). partnership" To saythat by employed thesefoundations predatory andsize ofthis a common interest establishment. the through While are elites linked balance sheet through analysis. information oneonwhich isnot is and economists Military provides Ine evidence of accumulation appropriation ample cando precise analysis, provides that foundations data it of states a a the on survive governmentmerelydescriptionallcapitalist useful park assess extent the subsidies. ball to the and Intra-elite relationsespethis but Again, is rumoured has andsocieties. of "MILBUS" (acronymfor never MILBUScrowds in case with before documented evidence. cially this where growth

Business Army's

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Economic Political and 13, Weekly October 2007

an out private the sector remains impor- essentially explainthe overarching to tobeexplored. dominance the statevis--vis tant research of civil question in and Theacquisitionagricultural urban society a post-colonial of and setting was to is visible. applicable all oftheerstwhile British forces more landbythearmed CHINA-PAKISTAN STRATEGIC Theissueofmilitary time become India. dominance is have Defence societies over COOPERATION toIndia thelargest in localitiesPakistan's not the residential applicable entity poshest Indian Perspectives India-anddoesso perhaps a in us The urban landscape. bookinforms of ofBritish Swaran Singh(ed) It form Bangladesh.isnot land the mannerwhich in urban isacquired different for only 81-7304-761-8, 2007, 405p. Rs. 895 with armsof the state atsubsidised developed public thatthe non-elected rates, inPakistan the structure but of resources then to officers the dominate state and sold NEPALIS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE its arm time rates. officers that military hasover acquired at armed forcessubsidised The NEPAL over state millionaires a virtual instant inturn become can by monopoly the inPakistan. Social South Dynamics in Northern rates The overdeveloped thesis state does not of these selling plots landatmarket Asia Vol. I se this IfSiddiqa Ine civilians. tohapless Military alsocon- per explain phenomenon. Hiroshi David N. Gellner and IshJi, with JalaFs that process hadworked Ayesha observation this firms casual the argument KatsuoNawa (ed) an imbalancethe at time the about institutional hasincreased a frenetic during at pace 81-7304-699-9, 2007, 543p. Rs. 1095 and ofPartition Pakistan's Musharraf pro-US posturregime. in coldwar on ing the useful detail on, important early this Siddiqaalso provides POLITICALAND SOCIAL been more robust. would land of the allocationagricultural tomilitary explanation have IN TRANSFORMATIONS NORTH of to in 1965and Siddiqaappears err thedirection Between in personnel Pakistan. INDIAAND NEPAL in structuralist her land being excessively acresofagricultural 2003,1,90,000 Social Dynamics in Northern South academic but on Not is analysis this to officers. only wasgiven military admittedly Asia Vol. II issue. rates nevertheless on to the land Hiroshi and important David N. Gellner given them subsidised Ishii, area the rank- Theother where theoretical that high also but Katsuo Nawa (ed) part Siddiqa shows for is the is cultivationalso subsidised ofthebookcanbe contested when 2007, 520p. Rs. 1095 81-7304-729-4, ingofficers, MILBUS in terms the If forces! onetakes boys author the armed conceptualises by of then of different unto inkhaki a group themselves, as typologies civil-military CRISIS OF STATEAND NATION The South Asian States Between in relations. important that "feudals" out turn to be biggest point Siddiqa they and militaries a privileged Nation-Building Fragmentation is makes that from No Pakistan. wonder, enjoy Ayub apart JohnP. Neelsen and DipakMalik in allocations vis--vis resource dictators position (ed) Khan,noneof thesubsequent Howin countries. 2007, 432p. Rs. 995 81-7304-731-6, in aboutlandreforms varying haveevertalked degrees most does the of And Pakistan. thisis in spite thefact ever, typology notseem particuLIVINGWITHSECULARISM in useful explaining at have been the larly that major "praetomilitary governments The Destinyof India's Muslims Chinaand suchas Turkey, as rian"states the of forefront critiquing "feudals" Mushirul Hasan (ed) at In caseofPakistan least, and to messy "sham" centralthe democracy Indonesia. the 2007, 306p. Rs. 750 and withmonotonous it is clearthathistorical structural 81-7304-706-5, thattheyoverthrow dominathe that reasons explain military's regularity. THE IMPACTOF ARMED the within polas of tion wellas itslocation and The development dominance CONFLICTS ON WOMANIN SOUTH and from China different say are is frameworkpri- ity much MILBUS in Siddiqa's ASIA and BoththeTurkish Chinese that Turkey. of political because the power marily Ava DarshanShrestha and enjoy armies thus are on Pakistan's early after armies liberation military acquired and RitaThapa (eds) than Pakistani From Partition. there Siddiqashows a far legitimacy their on, greater 2007, 228p. Rs. 575 81-7304-724-3, is which in counterpart, inturn theremnant has the that relationship beendialectic the Indian Moreover, the sense thatthe military's army. political oftheBritish SITUATINGENVIRONMENTAL is of Pakistan of has led to accumulation eco- legitimacythe army further power HISTORY as demonstratecompromised itis notevena national resources-two nomic chapters (ed) RanjanChakrabarti of two-thirds its 81-7304-683-2, the army, between correlation an interesting roughly drawing 2007, 395p. Rs. 995 to exclusion from Punjab the and increasing personnel the 'spolitical mi power its litary - and thisresource of other As units economic federating in Pakistan. AND POLITICS INDIANJUDICIARY prowess of the to the in compels militarykeep such, location thePakistani army, The Changing Landscape capture turn is civil intact. influence itspolitical viz,thelarger society structurally B.D. Dua, M.P. Singh to and different perhaps compared Saxena(ed) unique andRekha entities. other these Structuralist? 2007, 81-7304-723-5, 489p.Rs. 1195 Excessively dominance this So given overwhelming our that isthere the sin catalogue writeusat: please to theoriginal ofthe of military, anyway Pakistan for complete explains Siddiqa a can movetowards in influence Pakistan's becoming "normal" politics military's ?According third state democratic world the country by invoking "overdeveloped" demoto the of formulation Hamza Alavi. Alavi's toSiddiqa, route sustainable doa is in state cracy Pakistan "maybe strong about argument theoverdeveloped backedby external It context.was mesticmovement in wasarguably a different 4113

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domains and of delineationpersonal public of notwithstanding, quibbles pressure" 24). Thenotion "external Theseminor (p madeinthemovement. are read for is by help"is notviewedfavourably the this a must book allwho inter- has beentacitly on other Pakistan's in democraticmovementin Pakistan. ested understanding hand, movement,the underlyingThefeminist between the It affliction. has stressed interconnection and ofpopulist sentiment, however, socio-political economic Regarless doof issues rape, but answers itis a thetwoandhasraised not thisis an important particu- may provide many proposition and in present the context where external valiant at sati, violence, widows deserted larly the attemptoutlining dominance mestic work women informal of elements the what commonly women, is including (primarily US) are instru- ofthemilitary beyond Auand of mental keeping military in the an that sexworkers bardancers. hasbecome understood. Ayesha Siddiqa dictatorship centres women's studies in the saddle.Although the of since pub- tonomous groups, Siddiqa gives academic celebrity sorts instruunits been have media of status andparallel countries lication this of book. this And exalted examples LatinAmerican The concerns. strain where US hasfacilitated the in with mental raisingthese isthoroughly given courage earned the democracy, and the one wishesthatthis proposition harass- between women'smovement had which has she faced and overt covert beenexplored been has further in the W feminism always from might the of state. present. particularlythe ment in context Pakistan's of movement thecountry The feminist situation geopolitical Theright 9/11. on has beenattacked all sides. Email: post asadsayeed@gmail.com and destabilise that fears itwould family life the fears the social while left that workwould be parties ingclassanditspolitical hollowed Centrist have destabilised. parties its the movementco-optingprogrammes by The them. and slogansand subverting from recovered different ofacademics research, movement notquite fields has and in for of creative bombshell reservationwomen of Feminism Experience, as writing, professions law and the of Dominance autonomous and and Narratives journalism, raj groups left panchayati institutions. Thoughts The them non-governmental (NGOs) political organisations parties. oldest among byNeeraDesai; is HansaMehta(born 1897) and the or "NGOisation", in communal backlash, 2006; Mumbai, Sparrow, and attributes is old. Mostof them celebration feminine of youngest 36 years pp 456,contribution Rs 250, price erosion arefairly known theauthor of well and the is sexuality, careerism youth, hardbound. attacks are with welfare -these other state There ofthe personally acquainted them. setbacks and areno rural dalit or here are which nor havecausedsevere women VasudhaJoshi while there representatives of of non-left any parties. splinteringthemovement itsbeOfcourse, book the doesnot to was claim rep- ginning marked a lot enthusiasm by of is feminist consciousness con- resent shades opinion activism and most the all of Therefore of narrators and activity. structed? Whatmakeswomen inthewomen's but It with look back the with on past fondness are movement.starts parin movement? is fourintroductory How and with disillusioned the with present hesitant ticipate a feminist chapters dealing in studies linked certain with different and of and of future. allare definitions meanings theory women's Still, weary the These some are and the however conscious- that movement, the praxis? important questions feminism, ideaoffeminist fragile which prompted project which ness, brief have the on a is and review the of women's move- fragmented,important has given this bookis based. Women activists from ment thecountry. andreferences meaning their in lives. Notes to and Maharashtra their anda list all 90 interviewees their First of of with hand adverse Gujarat present experience patrito answers these onthebasisof birth to and of area work given archy exposure wider are and movements, dates, questions place their life work. editorial own and The in- atthe end. feminist the particularly international troduction concluding and remarks the Thewomen's factors movementthecountry movement out bethe in turn to by major author serve contextualise personal goesbacktothe1930s to the in while feminist leading feminist the to consciousnessthese narratives. result an important, movement onlythreedecades old. narratives. come The is inis and Then education famalbeit book maintains thecauses of ily that families have teresting long-winded which Feminism background.and By large, was20 years the in making. women's in women who are of these brave oppression society many been supportive Itbegan with University a Grants Com- but basiccauseis only viz,patri- havecharted ownpaths. the a their one, Only few mission undertaken archy. Thisis unacceptable theolder havehadto stagea struggle inthe with to (UGC)research project in 1986.Though project the was activists manyseniorresearchers. family. importance exposure and to The of report submitted 1994, author in the carried out Indian women's movement been has to feminist isgoing strengthideas apart western additional research put present to the vol- of larger and activists en the oft-repeated insignificant) (but struggles women ume together. More than a hundred want subsume to their in of that detractors struggle some charge themovement's women contacted their were for narratives; granddesignsuch as socialism, and of class theroots concerns themovement thestories 90 were of written inter- struggle, after The arewestern, indigenous. not ecological sustenance. them then and werepared women's movement grown has viewing they through down the presented Eventhen stagesof participation the freedom Personal vs Political to 24 here. in run more 300pages. than students' in they into movement, agitationsGujarat Thenarratorswomen are activists rise in Weneed askatthis to is Bihar, (many and anti-price agitationMahajuncture: there do notaccept label"feminist") the from rashtra the1970s.However, careful anything 11 womenconsciousness? in a atal ike 's

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Economic Political and 13, Weekly October 2007