Abstract
Pakistan on the Brink is a collection of essays by Ahmad Rashid on the war in Afghanistan, turmoil in Pakistan and inaction of the West. It is a part of the trilogy which included his earlier books i.e. Taliban and Descent into Chaos. It charts the rise and fall of Taliban and Islamist extremism in Pakistan and ongoing insurgency in Afghanistan from start of 2009 till end of 2011. It depicts Pakistani state and society facing a severe economic crunch and social breakdown with an indifferent political leadership. Pakistan’s ties with the United States have been on a downward spiral since the American raid that killed Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, in Pakistani town of Abbottabad. This relationship is in such trouble that “the United States and Pakistan are just short of going to war,” Rashid writes, and blames both sides for it.
In the author’s assessment, situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating gradually and its prospects for the future are grim. Major chunk of the US and NATO forces will return to their native lands by the end of 2014 but they have already handed over security responsibilities to Afghan security forces. Phased withdrawal of Western forces and the upcoming presidential elections in April 2014 may once again push Afghanistan into chaos. American efforts to jumpstart the Afghan economy have not produced any tangible results as economic activity has been mired by the growing Taliban insurgency. The fragile political setup in Afghanistan and vying for influence by regional nations for securing their respective interests in the post-American Afghanistan is leading the country towards full-scale civil war.