Uprising in Pakistan

Tariq Ali has written more than two-dozen books on world history and politics--the most recent of which are The Clash of Fundamentalisms, The Obama Syndrome and The Extreme Centre --as well as the novels of his Islam Quintet and scripts for the stage and screen. He is a long-standing member of the editorial committee of New Left Review and lives in London.

Pakistan 1968: the history of a revolution

The story of what happened in 1968 in Pakistan is often forgotten, but is proof of a global revolutionary moment. In that year, following years of tumult, a radical coalition - led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - brought down the military presidency of Ayub Khan. Students took on the state apparatus of a corrupt and decaying military dictatorship backed by the US. They were joined by workers, lawyers, white-collar employees, and despite the severe repression, they took hold of power. Through a series of strikes, demonstrations and political organising a popular uprising was born.

In his riveting account of these events, Tariq Ali offers an eye witness perspective to history, showing that this powerful popular movement was one of the most revolutionary moments of the twentieth century. The victory led to the very first elections in the country, and the birth of a modern nation.