Controversial Book About Pakistan's Military Sells Out

The book's author is a well-known security analyst and her previous research has been on military decision-making. Ayesha Siddiqa says her book was promoted by word of mouth.

"It got more publicity than it would have -- people became aware of the book on a subject on which there is actually a lot of demand. It is something people want to hear more about and talk about. Everyone's talking about it."

Normal, but counter-productive, reactions

The former Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, or ISI, Lieutenant General Asad Durrani attended the book launch. Asked why the military government tried to ban it, he said that it was the normal way governments reacted. :

"And the reactions are usually counter-productive," he added.

This is the first time that the Pakistani army’s penetration of the national economy has been documented in such detail. Siddiqua's book talks about how the armed forces have become "entrenched in the corporate sector", and how they make billions of US dollars from the industries they run, which include cereal and fertiliser manufacture.

"What really got me interested into writing this book was the basic question: how do you push the military back into the barracks?," explains the author. "Then, suddenly it became important to look at the corporate interests."

"When I started looking at the corporate interests of the military, I found out that there was deep economic interest which was linked with the hidden economy -- hidden means it's not part of the defence budget."

Penetration into society

Siddiqa also warned that the Pakistani military is transforming Pakistani society. And this could only be explained by the military's penetration of the economy: "When you expand into the economy you also take over certain functions of the society."

"Therefore," she added, "you see expanding militarism in society, you have the military in education. The military has evolved into an independent class."

Siddiqua's case is not the only instance of intimidation. Pakistani media groups are also facing pressure from the military.

They have been complaining of increased pressure ever since President Musharraf suspended the country's chief justice in March, sparking a tense political crisis.

Transmissions by two private television channels AAJ and ARY have been blocked since Thursday.