ABOUT THE BOOK

The year 2013 was the `year of transition` for Pakistan as three major posts saw change of guard. The election held in May 2013 paved the way for the first democratic transition, electing Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The same year, General Pervez Kayani was succeeded by General Raheel Sharif as the Army Chief of Pakistan and T. Hussain Jillani succeeded Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of Pakistan. These developments with their cascading effects created an interest among scholars and policymakers across the world, particularly in India, in the direction Pakistan is moving.       

In 2013, the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) constituted `Core Group on Pakistan` (CGP) to develop deeper understanding of critical issues in Pakistan, which were vital for India`s interests. The objective of the CGP was to maximize policy options and enhance public awareness about relevant issues in Pakistan. The book titled `Insights into Evolution of Contemporary Pakistan` is the outcome of serious deliberations among well known scholars, diplomats and policymakers at meetings (total eight meetings from 21 June 2013 to 13 November 2014) of the CGP. Papers presented in these Core Group meetings have been thoroughly reviewed before publication and the editors acknowledge with gratitude these insightful contributions.  

ABOUT Author

Satish Chandra joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1965 and till 1989 was posted in various capacities in Indian missions in Vienna, Karachi, Washington D.C., Algiers, and Dhaka as well as at headquarters. Subsequently, he served as India`s Ambassador to the Philippines (1989-1992), its Permanent Representative to the UN Offices in Geneva (1992-1995) and its High Commissioner to Pakistan (1995-1998). He set up the NSCS in 1999 and headed it as Secretary till demission from office in February 2005 concurrently holding the post of Deputy National Security Advisor from February 2002. 

Apart from representing India at a variety of multilateral fora such as the IAEA, WHO, ILO, the UN Human Rights Commission, the Disarmament Commission etc, he served as the President of the Conference on Disarmament during his assignment in Geneva. He was President of the Association of Indian Diplomats in 2010. Currently, he is Dean, Centre for National Security and Strategic Studies, Vivekananda International Foundation.

Dr. Smita Tiwari is Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. Before joining the ICWA, she was a Guest Faculty in the University of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia, taking courses on various issues of India and South Asia. She has also worked with the United Service Institution of India (USI) and Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) New Delhi. She has been part of many research projects. 

Dr. Tiwari has received her PhD from South Asian Studies Division, School of International Studies, JNU in 2012. Her research interests include: governments and politics in South Asia, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan; non-traditional security threats and challenges in South Asia, Indian diaspora, international migration and development, India`s foreign and neighbourhood policies.