This study sheds much-needed light on the phenomenal rise of the Pakistani military in politics. The Pakistani military was poorly endowed in 1947. It could, however, arm itself in the 1950s with US armament as well as expand its role and clout in Pakistani politics processes which continued later through the supply of armament by Chinese, acquisition of nuclear weapons capability and a militant ideology deriving from radicalised interpretations of Islam. A 'fortress of Islam' mindset emerged in Pakistan. Such evolution took place also because of internal emphasis on Islam as the core marker of Pakistani national identity. However, the 'villain of the piece' in Pakistani narratives has been India. The breakup of Pakistan through Indian military intervention in the 1971 civil war in the former East Pakistan furnished the proof needed to justify India's nefarious designs on Pakistan.