The answer to the second question would require many books on Pakistan’s political history. But please allow me to quote my all-time favourite, from Stephen Cohen’s remarkable work, The Pakistan Army (Oxford University Press). He quotes ‘A Prayer’, a piece of stirring verse from the American Civil War, issued by the Pakistan brass to all its units in 1978-79. Like much of revolutionary literature, it is inspirational, a call to honour, to “Tall men, sun-browned, to live above the fog...” But Zia’s headquarters was careful to omit the last four lines of the original:

For while in the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,

Their large professions and their little deeds, Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps, Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice sleeps!

If Zia it is that designed the Pakistani army’s ideological foundation, he at least knew what he was thinking about. He also knew what to edit!

sg@expressindia.com