Welcome to the first episode of our show, Pakistan: A Hard Country, where we delve into the complex realities of Pakistan through the lens of Anatol Lieven’s thought-provoking book.

In this episode, we’ll explore the core of Lieven’s main thesis: Pakistan is a weak state, yet it remains remarkably resilient due to the strength of its societal bonds—familial, tribal, religious, and regional.

We'll be focusing on the opening section of the book—from Page 1 to Page 17—where Lieven sets the stage by challenging common Western narratives. He asks: Is Pakistan truly teetering on the edge of collapse, or does it simply function according to a different set of rules and logic?

So, what makes Pakistan a "hard country"—hard to govern, hard to defeat, but also hard to break? Let’s begin to unpack this in today’s episode.