Of Reason, Romance and Ruin: a Conceptual History Of the 'Pakistan Ideology'

Nadeem Farooq Paracha traces the political currents that led to the formulation of what has come be known as the ‘Pakistan Ideology.’ This ideology was unveiled in the late 1970s and first introduced through textbooks. It was to be followed by all government and state institutions. This continues to be the case. The ‘ideology’ explains what being a Pakistani means.

However, the ideology has often been criticized by a growing number of scholars for using half-truths and even outright fibs to build a particular version of Pakistan’s foundational history. Paracha posits that instead of forming a consensual idea of Pakistani nationalism, it has caused ethnic, religious, sectarian and political fissures.

In a bid to derive a more holistic understanding of the making and function of the ‘Pakistan ideology,’ Paracha explores the major intellectual and political sources that were used (and on many occasions, misused) to construct it.