Blog Archives
Harris Kamal Interview, Author of Breaking Barriers
Breaking Barriers gives readers an in-depth look at the troubled history, bureaucracy, and politics of Pakistan as well as the hope for future reform. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Many books have been written about the problems Pakistan faces, often focusing on a single issue—politics, corruption, religion, or governance. What I found missing in much of that literature was a serious effort to connect those problems into a coherent diagnosis and, more importantly, to speak openly about solutions.
Having been raised in Pakistan, I experienced inequality not as an abstract concept but as a daily reality embedded in institutions and social structures. Later, living and working in the United States allowed me to see what equality before the law, functional governance, and individual rights can look like in practice. That contrast shaped the way I think about reform.
My love for Pakistan has always been unconditional, but it is not uncritical. I believe that caring deeply about a country also means being willing to question it honestly. I wrote this book because I felt a responsibility to share a vision with the younger generation—one that moves beyond personalities and slogans and instead focuses on rebuilding institutions, expanding opportunity, and restoring fairness.
Breaking Barriers is not just a message of concern; it is a call to recognize Pakistan’s untapped potential and to illuminate paths forward that are often hidden beneath politics, inertia, and fear of change.
How long did it take for you to research and put this book together?
Between research and writing, the ideas behind Breaking Barriers developed over eight to ten years. Some of that time was dedicated to formal research—reading, studying institutions, and following policy debates—but much of it came from long-term observation, lived experience, and reflection. The book itself took shape gradually, as I tried to move beyond reacting to events and instead understand deeper patterns that unfold over time.
Did you learn anything while writing Breaking Barriers that surprised you?
What surprised me most was how deeply interconnected the problems are. I initially thought of corruption, education, justice, and economic inequality as separate failures. While writing, it became clear that they reinforce one another in ways that are difficult to untangle, creating cycles that repeat across generations.
Another surprise was how much resilience exists alongside dysfunction. Even within systems that feel deeply broken, there are individuals—teachers, judges, civil servants, parents—who continue to do their work with quiet integrity. That realization shaped the tone of the book. It reinforced my belief that reform is difficult and slow, but not impossible, if enough people decide to move in the same direction.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from this book?
I hope readers take away a sense of grounded hope — not the kind that ignores reality, but the kind that insists change is still possible. Pakistan’s challenges are real and deeply rooted, but they are not permanent.
I want readers, especially young people, to believe in their own agency: to value honesty, integrity, transparency, and dignity in their daily lives, even when systems discourage those qualities. Meaningful change rarely arrives overnight or from a single leader; it emerges when enough individuals commit to doing the right thing consistently. If this book helps readers see light beyond the current darkness and recognize their role in shaping that future, then it has done its job.
Breaking Barriers: A Bold Vision for Pakistan’s Future
Breaking Barriers: A Bold Vision for Pakistan’s Future is part memoir, part diagnosis, part blueprint. Harris Kamal starts in Karachi and uses his own story as a doorway into Pakistan’s wider journey. He traces the rise from early “Asian Tiger” optimism to a present filled with corruption, broken institutions, and deep inequality. He then moves through the big systems that shape daily life: bureaucracy, police, courts, politics, education, gender relations, and the economy. Finally, he lays out a future agenda that leans on youth, better governance, and social inclusion, with long chapters on schools, women’s empowerment, and structural reforms in everything from taxation to resource use.
I enjoyed the way he mixes hard facts with personal feeling. The Karachi passages have texture and warmth, and the opening section on Pakistan’s “promise and peril” feels tight and focused. The writing is clear and direct. At times, it sounds like a long op-ed. At other time,s it sounds like a friend talking late at night about home. I liked the concrete cases he uses when he talks about law, such as famous murder trials, the Panama Papers, and the battles around Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and his comparison with Kenya’s judicial reforms gives the book a more global feel. The message stays strong, yet I felt that some sections could have been leaner, with fewer long lists of problems and more storytelling on how change actually happens on the ground.
The book moved me more than I expected. The anger at feudal politics, bloated bureaucracy, and daily injustice is clear, but it is grounded in love for the country rather than simple ranting. I found the chapters on women, education, and the digital divide especially powerful, because they show how big structures hit real people in homes, schools, and workplaces. His call for coeducation, broader career paths for girls, and real financial independence for women feels both practical and values-driven. I also liked his focus on tax justice and agricultural income, which many authors avoid. The vision is bold and hopeful, but I sometimes wanted more nuance.
The book does not hide how deep the problems go, yet it refuses to give up on the idea of a fair, modern, confident Pakistan. I would recommend Breaking Barriers to readers in the Pakistani diaspora, to students in Pakistan who are trying to make sense of their own country, and to policy folks or diplomats who want an insider’s passionate brief on what is broken and what could be rebuilt. It reads more like a long, heartfelt briefing from someone who has seen both Karachi’s flooded streets and America’s functioning institutions and still believes Pakistan can rise if enough people decide to push in the same direction.
Pages: 702 | ISBN: 9783127323207
LITERARY TITAN 