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I was the one who got away.
As they approach the red carpet that leads to the Pak One staircase you can immediately tell that I am the only one in the frame smiling but when I salute and start walking towards the aeroplane, my smile vanishes. I know I am saluting a bunch of dead men. But if you are in uniform, you salute. That’s all there is to it.
June 1988, Pakistan. General Zia is convinced there is a plot to kill him and barricades himself within Army House, his official residence. There are plenty of people who might want him dead.
The army generals growing old waiting for their promotions.
The CIA.
The ISI.
RAW.
And Ali Shigri, a junior officer at the military academy whose father, a whisky-swilling jihadi colonel, has been murdered by the army.
Two months later, Zia gets into the presidential plane, Pak One, which explodes midway. Zia’s death will benefit many. Some want power, some want recognition - Ali is only doing his duty.
Which of the plotters have succeeded?
A Case of Exploding Mangoes is sharp, black, inventive and utterly gripping.
´Witty, elegant, and deliciously anarchic. Hanif has a lovely eye and an even better ear.´ John le Carré
‘One of the most important Pakistani novels of recent times, unputdownable and darkly hilarious. Mohammed Hanif is a brave, gifted writer. He has taken territory in desperate need of satire - General Zia, the military, Pakistan at the time of the Soviet-Afgan war - and made it undeniably his own.’ Mohsin Hamid
´In this suspenseful and masterfully structured novel, Mohammed Hanif casts a bright light on the most shadowy locations - ISI jails, army barracks, General Zia´s home. Dark humour, carefully controlled anger, and daring originality mark this as one of the most exciting novels I´ve read in a long time.’ Kamila Shamsie
‘Funny, subversive, erotic and sad. Anyone thinking of applying for the job of unhinged religious dictator should read it first.’ Mark Haddon
ISBN - 9788184000382
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Pages : 304
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