Indoctrination would have us believe that autobiographies are essentially unreliable. It is widely believed that autobiographical accounts are often tainted with half-truths and self-congratulatory praise. Be that as it may, those who embark on the monumental task of documenting their lives are engaged in a meaningful endeavor. In an effort to chronicle the highs and lows of their journey through life, they gain the opportunity to reinterpret past events with the benefit of hindsight.
Scholar and former diplomat Masuma Hasan’s Pakistan in an Age of Turbulence isn’t like any run-of-the-mill autobiography. On the contrary, Hasan’s account benefits from objectivity and relies on extensive research. In a terse preface, the author states that she began writing this book after the death of her husband, the social and political activist Fatehyab Ali Khan. The aim was not just to write about her husband’s illustrious career but also to explore the contributions of the “middle generation” of Pakistan, which have heavily influenced the “political evolution and social culture” of Pakistan. As a result, Hasan’s memoir seeks to locate her story and that of her husband in the broader context of Pakistan’s political history.
Pakistan in an Age of Turbulence offers a telling account of the life of a woman who was close to the patriarchal power corridors and rose to a position of prominence in the Civil Service. Before diving into the intricacies of her career, the author lays the foundation for her story by tracing her lineage with the precision of a skilled historian. The author opted for this approach as she was “daunted by [her husband’s] vast collection of papers” on various political developments. Be it a filler or a suitable alternative to her husband’s pile of “papers,” Hasan’s account of the centuries-old history of her family is intriguing and insightful. At times, the sheer depth of historical detail appears somewhat extraneous. Even so, this history lesson is far from undesirable as it shows how a person’s ancestry can affect their motivation to excel.
The author has worn many hats throughout her long career. She is the first Pakistani woman to earn a PhD in Economics and Politics from the University of Cambridge. Hasan has also held key positions in governance. She became Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in Vienna. Before becoming the Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan, Hasan became the ambassador to Slovenia, Austria, and Slovakia.
All of these glorious achievements have been duly documented in Pakistan in an Age of Turbulence. However, the memoir’s strength lies in Hasan’s ability to resist the temptation to boast about her accomplishments and instead present a knowledgeable account of her years in service. Sizzling accounts from Ayub Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenures are offered to readers in prose that sparkles with insight. An incisive chapter on the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy reveals the ambiguities of the Zia-ul-Haq year.
Hasan doesn’t pull her punches -- a quality that injects a healthy dose of neutrality into the account. She also doesn’t sugarcoat facts to disguise the inherently patriarchal nature of our political structures. “Everyone thought that, as a woman prime minister, [Benazir] would appoint me as a secretary in one of the ministries, but it was not to be,” Hasan writes. “The elite civil service had probably warned her that this was their turf.”
Later in the narrative, the author vividly describes her meeting with former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, which she considers a unique event in her diplomatic career.
Peppered with engaging facts filtered through the authoritative voice of an insider, Pakistan in an Age of Turbulence is a compelling reminder that autobiographies can be more than just a face-saving exercise.
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