case of exploding mangoes

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Plot summary[edit]

The central theme of the book is a fictitious story behind the real life plane crash which killedGeneral Zia,president

of Pakistan from 1977 to 1988, about which there are manyconspiracy theories.After witnessing a tank parade in

Bahawalpur, Zia left the small Punjabi town in the C-130 Hercules aircraft designated 'Pak One'.

Shortly after a smooth take-off, the control tower loses contact with the aircraft. Witnesses who saw the plane in the

air later claimed it was flying erratically, before nosediving and exploding on impact, killing General Zia and several

other senior army generals, in addition toArnold Raphel,the US Ambassador to Pakistan, and General Herbert M.Wassom, the head of the U.S. Military aid mission to Pakistan. Zia had ruled Pakistan for 11 years prior to his death

The book develops through the eyes of the narrator, Ali Shigri, a Junior Officer in the Pakistani Air Force who seeks

revenge for the death of his father, which he is convinced, although apparently a suicide, was orchestrated by

General Zia himself.

GeneralMuhammad Zia-ul-Haq

Begum Shafiqa Zia

GeneralAkhtar Abdur Rahman

GeneralMirza Aslam Beg

US AmbassadorArnold Raphel

Mrs. Raphel-Robin Raphel

Director ofCIAoperationsCharles Cogan

Osama bin Laden

Romanian dictatorNicolae Ceauescu

US Political ActivistJoanne Herring

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Fictitious Characters[edit]

Under Officer Ali Shigriprotagonist, leader of "Silent Drill Squad" atPakistan Air Force Academy,Risalpur

Prisoner imprisoned in the cell next to Ali Shigri, who claims to have been the Secretary General of All Pakistan

Sweepers' Union back in the beginning ofMuhammad Zia-ul-Haq's era

Under Officer Obaid "Baby O"Shigri's roommate at Pakistan Air Force Academy, who develops the idea of

crashing his plane into an area where Zia is present (in manner ofMathias Rust's flight into Moscow)

Brigadier TM-Tahir Mirza, who bears a slightly close resemblance withTariq Mehmood

Lt. "loot" BannonUSAF Instructor who develops "Silent Drill"

"Uncle Starchy"launderer for PAF Academy, who keeps jars orait venom which he terms "death nectar"

Zainabblind rape-victim whom Zia sentences to death (through stoning) for adultery, and who curses Zia

Maj. KianiISI officer who pushes Shigri to sign off that his father was a suicide (may be based on current

Pakistan Army ChiefAshfaq Pervez Kayani,but not identicalas revealed at the novel's end) and transports

Shigri between prisons

Awards and nominations[edit]

Winner of the 2009Commonwealth Book Prizein the Best First Book category.[2]

Winner of the 2008 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.[3]

Shortlisted for the 2008Guardian First Book Award.[4]

Longlisted for the 2008Man Booker Prize.[5]

External links[edit]

Amazon.com page for the book

NY Times review of the book

References[edit]

1. Jump up^Mohammed Hanif(May 2008).A Case of Exploding Mangoes. Knopf.ISBN0-307-26807-1.

2. Jump up^2009 Winners,[1],The Commonwealth Foundation Website. Retrieved 2012-02-06.

3. Jump up^'The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2008 - The Winner',[2],Remembering Shakti Bhatt webpage[3],27 January 2009. Retrieved 2012-02-06.

4. Jump up^Higgins, Charlotte (31 October 2008)."Five of the best in line for the Guardian first book award".TheGuardian(London). Retrieved 23 April 2010.

5. Jump up^Prize Archive 2008,[4],The Man Booker Prize website. Retrieved 2012-02-06.