An Incredible Journey of Pakistan: Evolution, Landmark Events and Their Impact
By Lt Gen (Retd) Talat Masood
Paramount Books (Pvt) Ltd
ISBN: 978-627-310419-5
256pp.

The introduction to An Incredible Journey of Pakistan: Evolution, Landmark Events and Their Impact, contains a blunt truth. Lt Gen (Retd) Talat Masood, the author, writes that, when he came to Pakistan from Hyderabad Deccan, he thought it would be a simple matter to build a new country and had not imagined “how many hurdles would be in our way.”

Furthermore, despite being a military man, he admits that a “skewed” civil-military balance has retarded the strengthening of civilian institutions and “distorted” the decision-making process.

Lt Gen Masood took part in the 1965 war and opines that it was not planned well by Pakistan. The people of India-occupied Kashmir did not revolt against Indian occupation as was expected then, though the Pakistan Army fought back well once the Indians crossed the international border. The author’s battalion was part of the 6th Armoured Division and was involved in one of the most crucial battles — Chawinda — where the enemy lost over 100 tanks.

The author offers two reasons for Pakistan’s superior performance during that battle: one, “the spirit and courage of junior officers and men”, and two, the superior quality of Pakistan’s US-supplied arms, as India, by contrast, used Soviet-made weapons.

Lt Gen (retd) Talat Masood’s memoirs are a military man’s recollections about his own idealism and professional journey as well as an honest assessment of the events and historic milestones that shaped Pakistan

The war was, however, a setback for President Gen Ayub Khan, according to the author, and he adds that the military leadership was “very West-Pakistan-centric”, and the air force was not taken into “full confidence” throughout the conflict. The book dwells at length on the disastrous consequences of the war and the effect of sanctions imposed after the war by the US and other Western countries. It also highlights the welcome outcome of these sanctions: Pakistan began developing its war industry with Chinese help.

A great admirer of China, Lt Gen Masood provides details of the Chinese contribution to the development of Pakistan’s defence industry. He focuses, in particular, on the Al Khalid tank which, according to him, was designed specifically to meet Pakistan’s needs and met ‘world-class’ standards in terms of “firepower, mobility, protection and survivability.”

The author says he felt proud that, with Chinese assistance, he initiated and completed several important defence products and set up manufacturing lines. China, he writes, “is clearly one country that has not only built Pakistan’s weapons and equipment but has been a major contributor in building Pakistan’s defence industrial capacity.”

He dwells at length on China’s Cultural Revolution and says that, in terms of infrastructure and human development, “they made more progress in the subsequent 30 years than they had done in the thousand years that preceded it” — an astonishing comment about a country, indeed, a civilisation — that gave mankind paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass.

However, few will disagree with the author when he gives credit to Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader after Mao Zedong, for his policy of “harnessing China’s energies with the introduction of capitalist practices.” Here, one cannot but recall Xiaoping’s famous retort when he was criticised for mixing capitalism with his reforms, which were undoubtedly giving results: “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.”

One point that Masood dwells on at length is the immense damage done to society by politicians who use the chaos and infighting in Afghanistan to whip up radical ideas among the youth. Millions — literally millions — of Afghan refugees had poured into Pakistan and it occurred to Gen Zia, among others, to don the robe of an anti-Soviet crusader to win Western applause.

Still, according to Masood, it was Mao who deserves the credit “for the unification of China by defeating the nationalist forces, establishing the People’s Republic and leading the most radical social revolution in human history.”

Today, according to the author, “China is a very different country. It is the world’s second-largest economy, an industrial powerhouse. It has global interests and aspirations. Chinese state-owned manufacturers have set their sights on high-value weapons systems and state-of-the-art arms technology.” He strikes a realistic tone when he says it would not be fair to expect China to offer weapons and equipment at concessional terms. “China is now in a different league, where it has to protect its national interests by retaining control of cutting-edge technologies.”

Providence seemed to be behind the author’s appointment in 1977 as director of projects for the Pakistan Ordnance Factories when he was a colonel. This would later prove to be an asset during his subsequent relationship with the country’s defence industry, as China once again helped Pakistan.

One example of Pakistan-China defence cooperation is the FC-1 Xiaolong. It is a single-engine supersonic plane, developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It is known in Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder.

While the chapter titled ‘Reclaiming Jinnah’s version’ does nothing but catch your attention, the latter chapters contain some of his most biting criticisms of the military leadership, especially of Gen Ziaul Haq’s policies that supported anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan. The US helped Zia in this enterprise “unabashedly” and “promoted radical Islam as a bastion against godless communism.”

One point that Masood dwells on at length is the immense damage done to society by politicians who use the chaos and infighting in Afghanistan to whip up radical ideas among the youth. Millions — literally millions — of Afghan refugees had poured into Pakistan and it occurred to Gen Zia, among others, to don the robe of an anti-Soviet crusader to win Western applause.

Similarly, madressahs [religious seminaries] come under harsh criticism from the author, who holds them responsible for radicalising religious education. Madressahs have traditionally played a commendable role in South Asian society but, under Gen Zia in the 1980s, the abuse of religious terminology for political purposes “gave a fillip” to the growth of jihadi organisations, according to the author.

That the author is remarkably intelligent is evident not only from his academic successes but from the recognition he received from military institutions at home and abroad. The chapter ‘Personal milestones and key events’ deserves to be read for the fragrance of his innocence. This fragrance would turn him into a passionate soldier for Pakistan — figuratively and literally. The man who shook him to the core had a charisma of his own, and was often referred to as having “razor sharp intelligence” and “armed to the teeth with the art of statesmanship” — Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

The author saw the Quaid-i-Azam when he visited Hyderabad, the homonymous capital of the state of Hyderabad and the biggest princely state of British India. The passage is appealing because it is written in the first person: “I am an impressionable adolescent, aware that India is on the brink of a new era and that India’s Muslims are looking for a homeland of their own. I begin to see Jinnah’s vision as a great change in India, full of promise for people like me who had mobilised from all over India to help create Pakistan, including the area now Bangladesh.”

On the whole, the book is characterised by objectivity, for the author has the courage to recognise not only his own shortcomings but of the institution he loves the most.

The reviewer is Dawn’s External Ombudsman and an author

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, March 29th, 2026

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Q. My grafted mango plant — of an unknown variety and around three feet in height — is planted in well-prepared soil enriched with natural fertiliser. It has been affected by dieback disease. Brown spots have appeared on its leaves. Based on my past experiences, such spots spread rapidly and, ultimately, the plant dries up. In North Karachi, many mango plants grow and produce abundant fruit but some plants cannot survive due to dieback disease. Please advise remedial measures, including any spray that can be used. Please also let me know how frequently the plant should be watered.

A. Thank you for sharing information about your mango plant. It is evident that the plant is afflicted with dieback disease, a fungal disease, which you have already deduced. For already infected leaves and branches, pruning is the recommended course of action. Remove the infected branches and cover the newly opened spaces, from where the branches were attached to the stem, with a fungicidal paste. Follow it up with a fortnightly fungicidal spray, for at least two months, on the entire plant, especially on the leaves and stem. In this case, fungicidal products such as Mancozeb or Blue Copper spray can be used. Both are available at well-stocked gardening stores and nurseries. Simply mix a teaspoonful of any of the fungicides mentioned above in one litre of water to prepare the spray solution.

Regarding your query about watering frequency, every other day is enough during summers. During winters and rainy days, watering can be reduced in such a manner that the soil remains slightly moist throughout the day.

If you are able to control the fungal attack by following the above-mentioned remedies consistently, then there is a good chance that your mango tree will thrive again. Fingers crossed!

All your gardening queries answered here

Q. We have a fig plant in a pot, of which I have attached photographs. Should we transplant it into the ground or keep it in the pot? It is currently placed outside in our lawn at our house in Karachi.

A. Ideally, the fig plant should be grown in the ground instead of a pot. Looking at the photographs, the potted fig plant seems old enough to be transplanted to its permanent location. For better size and growth of the tree and its fruiting, it is better to plant it in the ground as soon as possible. There is another major concern: the plant looks lanky and the stem can break while transplanting. It is critical to shift the plant very carefully. If the contents of the pot are not sliding out of the container with ease, the pot can be broken by gently striking the outside with a hammer. During this process, you may need to support the plant with one hand or require a second person to assist you. Please also ensure that the new place has exposure to direct sunlight throughout the day.

Q. I want to grow coconut trees at home. A few days ago, my son brought a small coconut tree, as shown in the photograph, which we planted in our garden. Later, I read in your column that the first leaf is a single, entire leaf, while leaflets appear later. It is not the case with the variety that we have.

A. Your observation about the leaf structure was astute — it is precisely this difference that indicates this is not a coconut palm. From the photograph, it seems that your son brought in a sucker, a term used for baby kangi palm plants. Kangi palm is not a coconut tree. It is a hardy decorative and ornamental plant. You need to visit any nursery to buy a coconut plant.

Q. I have lots of birds for whom I purchase mix feed from the market. Every few days, birds leave behind seed coverings and seed shells that they do not eat. I usually throw them away. I was wondering if I may spread them over the soil of my flower pots. I am not doing it currently as I was not sure what to do if any plants grow out of it and disturb my flower garden.

A. The leftover from bird feed can absolutely be used as a fertiliser to enrich the soil. Even if any of the seeds sprout, you can let them grow for a couple of days. Once they turn into seedlings, uproot them and feed to the birds, as fresh sprouts are highly nutritious for them.

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 29th, 2026

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Cooking was introduced to me not at home but in school, when one of our teachers, Mrs Mohammady took it upon herself to start cooking classes for girls. For this, she first had to convince the school headmistress that there would be no danger, since the girls would not be operating the stoves themselves. Then, she sought permission from the other teachers to let her use the staff room, as it was the place that had a makeshift stove to prepare tea.

Being a mother of daughters, Mrs Mohammady felt strongly about teaching them kitchen skills, which she considered a life skill. She wanted the same for boys but, unlike the girls, it was not so simple to get them to sacrifice one of their two sports or games periods to learn cooking. She started with girls in the sixth grade, who were older and responsible enough to be trusted in a kitchen, and who were also quite excited about taking cooking classes. I was one of them.

Mrs Mohammady encouraged us to put together and maintain our own cookbooks. We decorated them with pictures of cakes and pies, or whatever else in foreign magazines looked scrumptious enough for us to cut out and paste in. This went alongside recipes we penned of the cuisines we had learned to prepare. When we could not find pictures in magazines, we drew.

The first thing we made in the staff room kitchenette was crunchy caramelised peanut bars. Pancakes were next, followed by pakorray [vegetable fritters] and more such simple recipes.

With gas shutdowns a regular reality, these no-cook recipes are as useful today as they were when first learned decades ago…

Mrs Mohammady encouraged us to experiment and practise at home, though this proved harder than it sounds. My mother, though she appreciated the teacher for taking it upon herself to teach her daughter and her classfellows how to cook, did not feel entirely comfortable with me using the stove and oven at home.

At the same time, she did not want to dampen my enthusiasm entirely. Hence, she introduced me to recipes that did not involve fire. She took me to bookshops to look for cookbooks about salads, sandwiches, chutneys, shakes and desserts that did not require cooking.

Learning to make them was its own kind of pleasure. I continue to return to the recipes that I came up with in those days, especially in current times of gas shutdowns and shortages. Here, then, are some of the recipes I return to still — especially on days when the gas is out and patience is short.

SUMMER SALAD

Chop a medium-sized onion, bell pepper, carrot and half a cabbage into julienne slices. Take two medium-sized tomatoes and cut into small pieces. Transfer it all into a large bowl and squeeze the juice of one fresh lemon over it. Add half a teaspoon of salt, black pepper, chilli flakes and half a cup of plain yoghurt. If you like, sprinkle it with chopped fresh coriander before mixing it. The salad is ready. Serve cold.

COLD CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

Peel and slice a cucumber. Take a few bread slices and remove the edges before spreading mayonnaise on one side. Place the cucumber slices on the bread, add small pieces of bottled jalapeno slices to add taste (optional) and cover with the other slice to make a yummy snack that may be stored in the fridge and enjoyed cold.

SALTED MINT LASSI

Take two cups of yoghurt, one-fourth cup of mint leaves, half a teaspoon of crushed ginger, a teaspoon of salt, one-fourth teaspoon of black salt (optional) and one-fourth teaspoon of white cumin seeds. Transfer them to an electric blender along with half an ice tray of cubes. Mix in the blender on medium for 1-2 minutes and pour into a jug. Your chilled and refreshing lassi is ready.

PAAN LADDU

This one takes a little preparation, but most of it is hands-off. You need to first prepare gulkand, a simple concoction of rose petals and sugar. Just get lots of red rose petals from any roadside florist, rinse them and leave them to dry in a strainer. When the petals are dry, take a few at a time and add in two teaspoons of sugar to it before crushing and mixing them together with your hands in a bowl. Repeat the process by adding a handful of petals at a time and adding in more sugar. Transfer to a glass jar, close the lid and leave it in the sun for three to five days, after which the mixture starts looking similar to strawberry jam. Store it in the fridge.

Take a paan [betel leaf] or two from any paan shop. It’s even better if you have paan growing at home. Put the leaves (broken into little pieces) into the blender. Pour in a small can (about 400g) of sweetened condensed milk, a pinch (if powder) or two drops of green food colour (if in liquid form) and mix well.

Take two cups of desiccated coconut and mix it with the green betel leaves paste. Form small balls of the mixture, while placing a teaspoon of gulkand in the centre of each. Coat these balls with desiccated coconut before serving.

The writer is a member of staff. X: @HasanShazia

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 29th, 2026

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