Plot summary[edit]

The central theme of the book is a fictitious story behind the real life plane crash which killed General Zia, president
of Pakistan from 1977 to 1988, about which there are many conspiracy 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 to Arnold 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.
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Begum Shafiqa Zia
General Akhtar Abdur Rahman
General Mirza Aslam Beg
US Ambassador Arnold Raphel
Mrs. Raphel- Robin Raphel
Director of CIA operations Charles Cogan
Osama bin Laden
Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu
US Political Activist Joanne Herring
Fictitious Characters[edit]
Under Officer Ali Shigriprotagonist, leader of "Silent Drill Squad" at Pakistan 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 of Muhammad 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 with Tariq 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 Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, but not identicalas revealed at the novel's end) and transports
Shigri between prisons
Awards and nominations[edit]
Winner of the 2009 Commonwealth Book Prize in the Best First Book category.
[2]

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

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

Longlisted for the 2008 Man 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. ISBN 0-307-26807-1.
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". The
Guardian (London). Retrieved 23 April 2010.
5. Jump up^ Prize Archive 2008, [4], The Man Booker Prize website. Retrieved 2012-02-06.