Is Pakistan part of South Asia?

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Is Pakistan part of South Asia?
By Aparna Pande

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir recently remarked that “Pakistan, India and other countries in South Asia and the region’s population of over one billion people cannot be geographically separated.”

The remark represents a departure from years of attempts by Pakistan to deny its South Asian identity and link up instead
with the Muslim Middle East.
Geographically, linguistically, culturally and historically South Asia is a vital part of Pakistan’s personality. Yet for decades a majority of Pakistani policy makers, intellectuals and strategists have attempted to virtually relocate Pakistan within the Muslim Arab Middle East.

India’s name is derived from the river Indus, which now flows primarily through Pakistan. Most of Pakistan’s pre-partition history is the same as that of India. The term Pakistan is an acronym patterned on place names used in Central Asia, names that were brought to India by rulers of Central Asian origin who eventually merged or became an integral part of India.

They are not Arabic in origin. Pakistanis do not speak any of the major languages identified with the Middle East -Arabic, Persian and Turkish – and their cuisine and costumes, too, have greater similarity with South Asian food and clothing. Linguistically most of Pakistan’s languages are spoken in other parts of the South Asian subcontinent -Punjabi, Sindhi and Urdu (and before the separation of Bangladesh, Bengali).

Culturally Islam as practiced in South Asia has been different from rituals in other regions of the Muslim world, especially the Middle East. It has been more influenced by Sufism and has been more tolerant. The impact of Hindu customs and local culture on local practice of Islam and on South Asian Muslims is also very discernible.

However, since 1947, both at the level of domestic politics and foreign policy Pakistan’s policy makers have made a conscious effort to redefine the shared heritage with India. Marginalizing Pakistan’s South Asian identity and closer identification with a Muslim Middle Eastern identity seems to have been part of a larger strategic decision aimed at consolidating a unique Pakistani identity. This is a point I have further described in my book (Explaining Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Escaping India, Routledge, March 2011).

Soon after partition, Pakistani leaders faced the question of defining a Pakistani national identity distinct from that of India. Pakistan’s various provinces had ethnic or linguistic distinctiveness, which provided a basis for ethnic or language based nationalism, while their shared historical experience and heritage linked them to India as well. Pakistan had to be different from India if partition was to be justified and that raised the question of Pakistani identity.

Pakistan had little history of its own to appeal to but that of the Indian civilization (including India’s Muslim history) it had broken away from. Partition of the British Raj into India and Pakistan led to the separation of the new Pakistani state from the heart of the Muslim empire in South Asia, which now formed part of “Hindu” India. For centuries Delhi had consistently been the capital of India’s Muslim empires. The legacy of Indo-Muslim culture had evolved in kingdoms such as Oudh, Hyderabad, Rampur, Bhopal, Murshidabad, Golconda and Bijapur. The territory of these former kingdoms was located now in India and not in Pakistan. This left the new country with little within its territory to connect with the golden symbols of Muslim South Asian traditions.

Pakistan could have taken one of two roads- acknowledge its Indian history and laid itself open to constant critique over its raison d’etre or try and craft a narrative of history that matched its current ambitions. Pakistan’s leaders opted for the latter and in doing so, searched for episodic evidence in the relatively recent history of Indian Muslims.

Pakistan’s foreign policy has been cast in the same terms: because India is dominated by Hindus, with whom Muslims have little in common, Pakistan must draw closer to the Muslim states to its west. Many Pakistani strategists hold the view that Pakistan should by-pass South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) because the latter is only an umbrella to “legitimize Indian hegemony.” Although Pakistan has been a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since its founding in 1985, Pakistan continues to give greater importance to its membership of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Some Pakistani scholars and journalists assert that active membership of the OIC and a low-key association with SAARC denies legitimacy to an organization where India has a dominant or primary role.

It is in this context that the recent remark by Pakistan’s top diplomat is worth noting Instead of seeing this as an acknowledgement of a Pakistani South Asian identity we must analyze the context. Pakistan, resents India being placed “in a different league” than Pakistan and Pakistanis do not
Is Pakistan part of South Asia? | PK ARTICLES HUB

Pakistan is a diverse country; we have our own Ethnic groups. We have 4 major provinces each with its own Ethnic groups. Pashtuns(Pathans) makeup around 45%(70 million) of the country(including Punjabi Pashtuns), they were not natives and originally migrated from Syria, they only have around 13,000 in India. The Baloch make up around 4-5% of Pakistan, they originated from the Caspian region. Sindh is one of the most diverse provinces; they make up 25% of the population; 30% of Sindhis are Balochi, 20% are Muhajirs, 10% are Punjabi, 7 Percent are Pashtun and the rest are native Sindhis. Punjab makes up around 40% of the Population and consists of 45% Pashtun, and around 20% Seraiki(Pashtun and Punjabi), the rest are mostly native Punjabi clans( Gujjar, Jatt, Sheik and ect...) and Muhajirs. The Northern Areas has the most unique ethnic groups and are mostly made up of the Dardic People. India has their own Ethnic groups and even same regions both Pakistan and India controll are ethnically different, to say Pakistanis and Indians are genetically same or in some cases even similar is a mistake. Even in ancient times; both Pakistan and India have had very different cultures and civilizations; mostly Pakistan has been aligned to the western empires/kingdoms.

Modern day region of Pakistan only became associated with India during Mughal and British rule, although South eastern Sindh was also considered as a part of India before Mughal and British Rule.

But honestly, i dont care about ethnic groups; once your a Muslim, the only ethnic group you are in, is humanity.

Google Donkey Pakistan and then Donkey India. Then study the results. In India you wont find donkey plying on roads. It is used only by some poor farmers or washermen in remote villages whereas in Pakistan donkey carts are common sight. I have seen lots of those videos in YouTube.

Donkeys are mostly banned now, and no they are not a common sight anymore. They were mostly used to sell Zabzi.

 

[Soulspeek]

Stop furnishing fabricated maps to prove that Pakistan was different from rest of South Asia. All these attempts are in vain.

The real extent of Indus valley Civilization is not just in territorial limits of modern day Pakistan as you are hilariously showing. Real map is this:

As for the fabricated maps of other Kingdom you showed, the real map is as below:

Khilji Dynasty

Tughlaq Dynasty:

Gupta Empire:

Kushan Empire:

All these maps indicatees that Pakistan WAS part of India

Pakistan is a diverse country; we have our own Ethnic groups. We have 4 major provinces each with its own Ethnic groups. Pashtuns(Pathans) makeup around 45%(70 million) of the country(including Punjabi Pashtuns), they were not natives and originally migrated from Syria, they only have around 13,000 in India. The Baloch make up around 4-5% of Pakistan, they originated from the Caspian region. Sindh is one of the most diverse provinces; they make up 25% of the population; 30% of Sindhis are Balochi, 20% are Muhajirs, 10% are Punjabi, 7 Percent are Pashtun and the rest are native Sindhis. Punjab makes up around 40% of the Population and consists of 45% Pashtun, and around 20% Seraiki(Pashtun and Punjabi), the rest are mostly native Punjabi clans( Gujjar, Jatt, Sheik and ect...) and Muhajirs. The Northern Areas has the most unique ethnic groups and are mostly made up of the Dardic People. India has their own Ethnic groups and even same regions both Pakistan and India controll are ethnically different, to say Pakistanis and Indians are genetically same or in some cases even similar is a mistake. Even in ancient times; both Pakistan and India have had very different cultures and civilizations; mostly Pakistan has been aligned to the western empires/kingdoms.

Modern day region of Pakistan only became associated with India during Mughal and British rule, although South eastern Sindh was also considered as a part of India before Mughal and British Rule.

But honestly, i dont care about ethnic groups; once your a Muslim, the only ethnic group you are in, is humanity.



Donkeys are mostly banned now, and no they are not a common sight anymore. They were mostly used to sell Zabzi.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Stop furnishing fabricated maps to prove that Pakistan was different from rest of South Asia. All these attempts are in vain.

The real extent of Indus valley Civilization is not just in territorial limits of modern day Pakistan as you are hilariously showing. Real map is this:
View attachment 252678
As for the fabricated maps of other Kingdom you showed, the real map is as below:
View attachment 252683

Khilji Dynasty
View attachment 252685

Tughlaq Dynasty:
View attachment 252687
Gupta Empire:
View attachment 252688
Kushan Empire:
View attachment 252691

All these maps indicatees that Pakistan WAS part of India

First off, Indus civilization mostly consisted off Pakistan and only perhaps 5-10% of India; secondly your showing kingdoms at their peak, that probably lasted a decade. Although many Indian kingdoms took over PARTS of Pakistan; they were never fully able to hold it; only at some cases; small modern day border regions were held.

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

Pakistan is a diverse country; we have our own Ethnic groups. We have 4 major provinces each with its own Ethnic groups. Pashtuns(Pathans) makeup around 45%(70 million) of the country(including Punjabi Pashtuns), they were not natives and originally migrated from Syria, they only have around 13,000 in India. The Baloch make up around 4-5% of Pakistan, they originated from the Caspian region. Sindh is one of the most diverse provinces; they make up 25% of the population; 30% of Sindhis are Balochi, 20% are Muhajirs, 10% are Punjabi, 7 Percent are Pashtun and the rest are native Sindhis. Punjab makes up around 40% of the Population and consists of 45% Pashtun, and around 20% Seraiki(Pashtun and Punjabi), the rest are mostly native Punjabi clans( Gujjar, Jatt, Sheik and ect...) and Muhajirs. The Northern Areas has the most unique ethnic groups and are mostly made up of the Dardic People. India has their own Ethnic groups and even same regions both Pakistan and India controll are ethnically different, to say Pakistanis and Indians are genetically same or in some cases even similar is a mistake. Even in ancient times; both Pakistan and India have had very different cultures and civilizations; mostly Pakistan has been aligned to the western empires/kingdoms.

Modern day region of Pakistan only became associated with India during Mughal and British rule, although South eastern Sindh was also considered as a part of India before Mughal and British Rule.

But honestly, i dont care about ethnic groups; once your a Muslim, the only ethnic group you are in, is humanity.



Donkeys are mostly banned now, and no they are not a common sight anymore. They were mostly used to sell Zabzi.

This explains why a lot of Pakistanis resemble Syrians and Turks. Makes sense now.

 

[Samandri]

are you acting retarded due to the nsults?
These states are today in india my boy., your ancestors fell and became salves.

These and many other states were ruled by Baloch rulers .. Meanwhile we also raised and subjugated your pathetic kind in joint invasions with Pashtuns and even served as soldiers and generals in other regional muslim States!



Now crawl back to your hole n die.

P.S; Punjab was a muslim state with Pak side being exclusively muslim region hence the region became part of Pak...

You belong to a conquered race ..

There never has been a joint Pashtun-Baloch invasion of India in the history. If you are hinting towards battle of Panipat 1761 in a which a contingent of 1000 Baloch horsemen participated, then it can not be called a joint venture of two nations. There were Afghans in the army of Nadir Shah Afsahar when he invaded India, i wont called it Joint invasion of Pashtuns and Persians.

Baloch role in history of India is rather minimum and of small level. Its factually incorrect statement that "many" Baloch states existed in India, also Balochs didnt rose to prominence as generals in the various sultanates and states or as mansabdars in Mughal empire. Baloch appeared on the pages of history of India (excluding todays Pakistan) on three main occasions and places .

1- Fateh Khan Baloch appeared in the court of Ahmed II, the Sultan of Gujarat in 1556-61 AD and was given the jagir of Radhanpur and Sami. He was an important noble of the Gujarat court. It is said that town of Radhanpur is named after one of his descendant. This Radhanpur town became headquarter of a family of Babi Pashtuns in 1753.

2- Barech Pashtuns of Shorawak district of Afghanistan, live near Balochs. When Barechs migrated to Rohilkhand, they took with them some Baloch warriors. These Balochs served under the Rohilla chiefs and their descendants nowadays identify themselves as "Pathans".

3- One of the Baloch, Faujdar Khan Baloch became a faujdar under the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar and was given mahal of Farrukhnagar in Jagir (mahal in Mughal administration was equalant to a district).....This colony of Balochs was destroyed by the Jat ruler Suraj Mal in 1757 and they never recovered from it.

Balochs didnt enslave todays Indians, they subjugated Sindhis and Seraikis of Pakistan. The oppressive "waderas" of south Punjab and Sindh , are the descendants of Baloch chiefs who conquered those regions few centuries ago. Zaradari, Mazari, Lashari, leghari, khosa, Talpur, Jatoi etc, all are Balochs and are considered worst kind of oppressors to low-castes and poor peasants working on their lands under them.

Funny Jatts were made slaves by us Baloch and Pashtuns..

Those monkeys made good lil slaves ..

Balochs subjugated Pakistani Jats in some areas of South Punjab..........The Hindu Jats actually destroyed the Baloch colony of Farrukhnagar (Gurgoan district of Hariyana) under their great leader Sur Mal Jat in 1757.