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Author | Ayesha Siddiqa |
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Genre | Military Industrial Complex |
Publisher | Pluto Press |
Publication date | May 2007 |
Publication place | Pakistan |
Pages | 292 |
ISBN | 978-0-19-547495-4 |
Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy (Urdu: اقتصادیاتِ عسکری پاکستان) is a book about the Pakistan military's economic activities and its consequences, written by Ayesha Siddiqa.[1]
The book, divided into ten chapters, discusses the Pakistan military's economic empire and its political, economic, and social effect on the country. The author uses the term “Milbus” to refer to “military capital that is used for the personal benefit of the military fraternity, especially the officer cadre, but is neither recorded nor part of the defense budget.” She puts the cost of this Milbus to at least $20 billion.[2] The following is a brief description of the content chapter wise:[3]
The book caused a stir as it discussed a subject considered taboo in a country ruled for half of its time since independence, by the military. The author on the launch of the book said, "Over the past three years a lot of my friends have advised me not to publish this book. They think I have suicidal tendencies."[4] Talat Hussain, a political analyst, said "Ms Siddiqa is a courageous researcher. This area has always been considered a sacred cow in our society."[5] Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) released a booklet titled ‘Information Brief’, countering the figures and facts presented by the author in her book.[6]