The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation

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The demise of Pakistan – a country with a reputation for volatility, brutality and radical Islam – is regularly predicted. From the goings on of the tribes of the north to what happens in social gatherings of the elite in Karachi. The city is envisioned as Bhutan’s new economic hub – an opportunity to capitalize on the economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia.

There’s been periodic uprising by disgruntled Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Balochs, always directed at Punjab and military-centric governments. He was educated in Dublin and has also reported from sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, the United States, and across the Middle East.Plainclothes ISI operatives can be found in towns and cities across Pakistan, low-key but ubiquitous, like pigeons on a power line.

Walsh experienced first-hand the consequences of delving too far into the ‘divided nation’ of Pakistan as a result of publicising details that their government did not want revealed. However, Walsh does mention the term ‘desi’ which references the culture of South Asia as a whole which would contrast this as a reason for such divides and tensions. Accompanying him as he went from village to village campaigning, Walsh observes drily: “I didn’t see a single woman. It would have been valuable to include more women in the book since Walsh notes how ‘as ever, women suffer most’ (pg 226).There is also a clear concern regarding some political decisions and the dominance of the military which have dangerous consequences for many people featured in the book. Despite being a complex read, The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation is compelling, and it is worth persevering since it provides a detailed personal discovery of an extremely interesting country.

This man with a conscience, who could no longer carry out the dictates of his agency and has resigned, provides Walsh with some closure, but, like so much regarding Pakistan, the real story remains unclear.

And it’s always been a reluctant part of Pakistan, with periodic uprisings against the central government since the 1940s. Within The Nine Lives of Pakistan, Walsh indicates how he ‘poked an unexpectedly tender spot’ (pg xx) which led to his expulsion from the country – his questioning of government activities is referenced throughout the book. By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file.