Pakistan was born amid communal violence and the collective consciousness of danger. Right from the outset, democracy was up for debate between the politicians nurtured by the British Raj and an orthodox clergy that advocated a utopia in which Islam was to be the ideological guide.

Today, the threat of religion as an extra-legal force is causing many Pakistanis to wonder if the state can move forward into the future with Islam as its founding credo.

In 'Pakistan's Terror Conundrum' (Penguin), a carefully curated collection of his writings in several publications, senior Pakistani journalist Khaled Ahmed examines the country's policies regarding terrorism against the backdrop of increasing pressure from international organizations.

Despite joining the US in its war against terror after 9/11, the country has been perceived as a safe haven and breeding ground for terrorists. Ahmed looks at the origins and activities of the various terrorist organizations, the role of the state and the ideology of its founding figures, some of whom seem to have been forgotten.

Khaled Ahmed is the consulting editor for Newsweek Pakistan and former consulting editor for the Daily Times and the Friday Times. Over the span of his 30-year career in journalism, he has written widely on the ideology and politics of Pakistan.

(IANS)