Tariq Mahmood

A Holiday in Home Tariq Mahmood

Anyone who follows the international news, even casually, is well aware that
Pakistan is one of world's major trouble spots. With an inexhaustible supply of fanatical terrorists regularly exploding on Pakistani streets, an inept and corrupt government surviving on western largesse, a disproportionately large military equipped with nuclear weapons, an exploding population ill trained for the 21st century world, an unending war on its western border, and a faltering economy, it is no wonder the Pakistani social fabric is rapidly tearing apart. This tantalizing novel by first time author, Tariq Mahmood, explores the dynamics of present-day Pakistani society through the eyes and ears of an ex-pat Pakistani couple who get stuck there during a vacation due to the kidnapping of their only son. The kidnapping is motivated by ransom, but involves a network of Islamic jihadists, small-time crooks, corrupt officials, and tribal elders. The couple hails from established military families. However, even after they pay the ransom, their son doesn't come home due to the inaptitude of
their well-placed relatives and the local police. Spending an extended time in Pakistan after many years of peaceful upper-middle class life in the US, the couple are able to see how the Pakistani society has evolved over the years. Gone are the carefree days of their youth when the rich and powerful could enjoy the unquestioned loyalty of the poor masses. The rich are more scared in the new Pakistan and the powerless are asking questions.

The novel is full of colorful characters whose fascinating lives have been
masterfully enmeshed to create a story that remains a page-turner till the
end.

Want to guess whose help was needed to bring the boy back home?