Pakistan’s geography under threat
Mahmood Hussain
A nation gets flawed its geography in case it fails to draw lessons from
history. Like wise its history would be bitter if it fails to secure its
geography. It appears that we Pakistanis are the nation that had neither
taken lessons from history nor cared to understand geographical
implications. In 1947 our leaders were forced to accept an independent
country comprising two pieces of land masses, East Pakistan and West
Pakistan, over a thousand miles of hostile Indian soil in-between.The
geography, social and cultural norms and languages of the two wings were
poles apart, the only common factor being the religion. In West
Pakistan, Punjab was divided. Almost half along with the main water head
works conceded to India.
Likewise the eastern wing comprised of half of Bengal, the rest
including the capital and industrial hub Calcutta was given to India.
The division of Punjab and Bengal was manipulated to favour India
through the notorious Boundry Commission of Redcliff. This way a passage
to the State of Jammu and Kashmir was provided to India in the west and
to Assam in the east and a geographically truncated state of Pakistan
came into being.On December 16, 1971 Pakistan’s unnatural geography was
also slashed forcibly by its traditional enemy in connivance with some
of those who were considered to be its traditional friends. A majority
of the people no doubt were also part of the separatist movement because
of the wrong doings and inefficiency of the senior politicians and
bureaucracy. Thirty-eight long years had since passed. Those who had
ditched us in 1971 are still our friends and the departure from the past
is that we are doing our best to get friendly with India too, the
country that had dismembered Pakistan and had been forcibly occupying
the better half of the State of Jammu and Kashmir against the wishes of
its overwhelming population and international norms. Is it the way to
draw lessons from history or securing the geographical limits?
Conspiracies to foil the creation of Pakistan and demolish the
philosophy behind it had begun soon after it was created. Rather it was
conceived before hand by the prejudiced Hindu leadership dominating the
Indian National Congress and their friends in the outgoing British
Indian government like Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the last Viceroy. But
the Pakistani leadership did every thing, inadvertently or advertently
to fulfil the objectives set by the enemy. Leaving aside the mistakes
committed leading to the dismemberment of the country and creation of
Bangladesh, we had done blunders to damage what ever was left. As a
result question remains, weather we are a failed state or not?
The country’s economy is crippled with ever increasing foreign debt and
unprecedented shortage of power supply. On the political front
Balochistan and tribal areas bordering Afghanistan are bleeding because
of prolonged insurgency and war against terrorism. The government and
leadership of the country is ignoring the day to day dangerous
developments in the Balochistan despite the fact that these are not
different to those which took place in the eastern wing especially
during 1970-71. Punjabis and the army were killed, humiliated or beaten
in East Pakistan. History is being repeated in Balochistan. Hoisting of
the national flag and singing of the national anthem was prohibited
there, it is taking place here too.
The separatist elements in Balochistan have evolved their own national
anthem and flag as done by the anti-Pakistan elements in the eastern
wing. And the significant factor between the uprising in Balochistan and
East Pakistan is that in both cases India had played the leading and
deciding role. This time additional role is visible from Afghanistan;
‘our partner in the war against terrorism led by the United States of
America, the country whose 7th. Fleet remained on its way, never to
enter into the Indian Ocean during the 1971 Pakistan-India war to help
the friendly Pakistan with whom that country was tied through defence
pacts of SEATO and CENTO.
There is one difference between the conflict in East Pakistan and
Balochistan. The former had no complaints or issues with Pakistan before
or in the early stages of independence. Rather the Bengalis were the
torchbearers of the freedom movement. But the seeds of conflict in
Balochistan can be traced in the preindependence periods, which were
blown up after the independence.With certain exceptions, there had been
no remarkable Pakistan movement in Balochistan. On the contrary, Khan of
Kalat had insisted to retain independent entity with its setellite
states of Kharan, Makran and Lasbella hesitant to decide which way to
go. The tribal areas of Balochistan were spread in the Quetta and Sibi
Divisions. Zhob and Loralai Districts (excluding Duki Tehsil) and
Dalbandin Tehsil of Chagai District were part of Quetta Division while
Marri-Bugti Tribal Agency were part of Sibi Division. The government of
Pakistan had done nothing to alter the state of affairs or integrate
these areas into mainland. The current conflict between Baloch sardars
and the government is the legacy of the post independence era and no
government had tried to resolve it.The causes of the conflict of
Balochistan can be found in the conflict between the government and
local sardars who are keen to preserve their tribal autonomy and
feudalism.
The government all over the years had done nothing to reform the
situation. Balochi people are mostly tribal and backward who are mostly
illiterate and have no sense of governance, rule of law and democracy
and therefore are easily carried away by the anti-state elements. The
continuing war against terrorism in the areas adjoining Afghanistan had
taken a dangerous turn and had threatened national integrity. Since
independence the people in these areas had been ignored. There had been
no political reforms. Neither economic opportunities were created there.
The semi autonomous conditions inherited in 1947 continue today. The
people of tribal areas were exploited in the name of Islam and Jehad
against the former Soviet Union by the United States of America through
President Gen. Mohammad Zia-ul-Haqi in the decade of eightees. Lately
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf consolidated and perpetuated his rule by
indulging in the war against terrorism again exploiting the tribal
people. The two dictators had tarnished the social, cultural and
political face of the tribal belt and also of Pakistan. Where we stand
does not need any explaination. Pakistanis had been made mercinaries in
the war on terrorism. Similarly the governments over the years had done
nothing to regularise the status of the government of Azad Jammu and
Kashmir and Northern Areas despite the fact that what ever land captured
by India was integrated and made constitutionally part of that country.
Almost six decades after Pakistan’s independence, the constitutional
status of the Federally Administered Northern Areas (Gilgit and
Baltistan), once a part of the former princely state of Jammu and
Kashmir and now under Pakistani control, remains undetermined, with
political autonomy a distant dream. The region’s inhabitants are
embittered by Islamabad’s unwillingness to devolve power to its elected
representatives and a nationalist movement, which seeks independence, is
gaining ground.
The Northern Areas enjoyed a brief period of independence between
November I, 1947, when the suzerainty of the Dogra rulers of Kashmir had
ceased to exist and November 16, 1947, when the local inhabitants
liberated their region and opted to join Pakistan. Things have gone from
bad to worse.The Kashmir issue remains un rsolved and there appears no
solution even in the distant future. It is therefore high time that our
leaders especially parliamntarians may spare some time to ponder and
find solution to lingering issues before the enemy hits the geopgraphy
of the country again.
—The writer is a senior journalist and Secretary General, Asssociation
of Friends of Nepal.
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