Pakistan's Sindh has characteristics of an independent state: US Congressional report

[jaydee]

Washington: Pakistan's Sindh always possessed characteristics of a "viable independent state", but its role as Punjab's conduit to the sea may be the ultimate reason that successful separatism could not yield results, a first-ever US Congressional report on the strategic province has said.


In its report, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) -- an independent and bi-partisan research wing of US Congress -- said Sindh historically has possessed many of the trappings of a modern nation-state.

"Yet it exists in a circumstance wherein its autonomy (and that of Pakistan's other minority provinces") is significantly restrained by a politically and demographically dominant Punjabi province and ethnicity," said the report.

The CRS reports are prepared by eminent experts but are not considered the official position of US Congress. However, it is the first time CRS has prepared a report on Sindh which of late is facing serious discontent among locals.

"Although Sindh has always possessed most of the characteristics required for a viable independent state and some nationalist sentiments persist to this day its role as Punjab's conduit to the sea may well be the ultimate reason that successful Sindhi separatism faced long odds," it said.

A copy of the report was released to the media by Congressman Brad Sherman, who is the co-Chair of the small Congressional Caucus on Sindh.

"Sindh thus operates in a seemingly permanent state of disadvantage, and is seen by some to be unlikely to meet its full social and economic potential in the absence of major qualitative changes to the Pakistani state," said the report.

According to the report, Sindh's Mohajirs (Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during partition) had their own autonomist movement from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s.

This was rooted in that community's loss of preeminence in provincial politics, bureaucracy, and industry, its lack of meaningful representation in the army, and its loss of identity following migration, among other factors.

After the 1970 election elevated a Sindhi to the prime ministership, Mohajir student organisations began efforts to consolidate community identity, and in 1984 the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) political party was founded, one with an early "penchant for torture, kidnapping, and murder."

Political violence in Karachi grew to such a scale that, by the early - 1990s, it had caught the attention of the army, which launched a crackdown that sent MQM leader Altaf Hussein into apparently permanent exile in London.

Yet the party remains a major player in the province and has continued to be dominant in Karachi proper. Sindhi-Mohajir frictions remain unresolved, especially given widespread perceptions among Mohajirs that the provincial government is fundamentally unable to serve their needs, the report said.

"Pervasive political, ethnic, and sectarian violence in Karachi has some analysts fearful that nuclear facilities near the city would be subjected to attack by militants."

PTI
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First Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 - 16:39



Pakistan's Sindh has characteristics of an independent state: US Congressional report | Zee News
@Horus @Oscar @Jango @Jungibaaz @Arsalan

And Jerusalem has characteristics of an independent palestinian state.Dear congressman you wanna day dream about independent Sindh and Balochistan.Plz feel free if it helps you get over the anxiety of being thrashed by Pakistan in Afghanistan and also beating in the urban war in Pakistani cities.
We don't have an exclusive Israel specific cell in ISI.I think it is time to open one now just to bring you back on Earth.

 

[jupiter2007]

Probably Zardari's stupid idea.

 

[Jaanbaz]

Realistically speaking India and Pakistan are two countries that hold together countless Nations, people with their own unique languages, culture and civilisations.

But there is more chance of USA breaking into countless states before Pakistan breaking. Fingers crossed for Mexicans to carve out another Mexico out of USA.

 

[gutto786]

US maintains the record of forging baseless articles just to psychologically put pressure on Pakistan before any important state visit and we maintain the record of being besharam and still visit them anyways.
Raheel sharif (or any sharif for that matter) should muster up some courage and cancel their visit next time anything like that appears before a visit and ask for an explanation of this before going ahead with the visit.

 

[VCheng]

US maintains the record of forging baseless articles just to psychologically put pressure on Pakistan before any important state visit and we maintain the record of being besharam and still visit them anyways.
Raheel sharif (or any sharif for that matter) should muster up some courage and cancel their visit next time anything like that appears before a visit and ask for an explanation of this before going ahead with the visit.

Please do not forget that this report does not represent official policies. The good General Sharif has important things to discuss with the US government.

 

[Dushmann]

Most western nations are created based on single language \ethnicity. So they find it difficult to grasp the unity in diversity of India (here north-west India).

Normally I would condemn outsiders interfering internal matters of India (even in the rogue north-west India) and promoting too much regionalism.

But sadly the ruling class of current north-west India who recieved this land as Jagir from white colonizers sees itself as successor of Turkic/farsi invaders and their tribal culture under the flag of Arabic imperialism and imposes this ideology on majority population/slave class. So what is the point of cribbing about unity in diversity of north-west India (now Pakistan)? Maybe Sindh deserves to be free like Bangladesh? After all, despite having suffered Islamic rule for longest time among Indian regions still maintained their native/Indian identity and culture to some extent- unlike east Punjab (which is always eager to serve as mercenary and agent of colonizers/invaders). So maybe we should accept the idea of free Sindh like Bangladesh, despite it being against typical Indian unity in diversity.
But still it is something that should be done by mainland India not by westerners/outsiders(like British east India company.)

 

[gutto786]

Please do not forget that this report does not represent official policies. The good General Sharif has important things to discuss with the US government.

Sounds official to me from where I see this! and what good our "good" General Raheel sharif will bring from this visit when the other side has cleared their stance pretty much before the visit.
What good our "good" General will bring when both the sharif's together couldn't stop US from doing these things before every visit and couldn't get a single statement aligning Pakistan's foreign policy after any previous visits.

 

[mzeeshanfahd]

haven't had enough in Afghanistan ..... want more come try it out then (next USSR)

 

[waleed3601]

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) political party was founded, one with an early "penchant for torture, kidnapping, and murder."

i supposed we can add US congress to the list of parties conspiring against mohajirs eh? @Patriots @KURUMAYA

 

[VCheng]

Sounds official to me from where I see this! and what good our "good" General Raheel sharif will bring from this visit when the other side has cleared their stance pretty much before the visit.
What good our "good" General will bring when both the sharif's together couldn't stop US from doing these things before every visit and couldn't get a single statement aligning Pakistan's foreign policy after any previous visits.

What may sound official to you, Sir, is clearly not. General Sharif will be making Pakistan's case as best he can, I am sure, with the US government.

 

[Vortex]

In USA, there are many many lobbies. And among those lobbies, many are paid by anti Pakistan forces (including a lobby which could be a state in the state in USA).

So what I understand is that they started a psychological war by injecting the separatism mood like a map showing a separated Baluchistan, and now this new report.

What could we do or what should we do to counter that? To strengthen our unity?

 

[arif hamza]

Isse kehte hai Din mai khawab dekhna

 

[Areesh]

India doesn't have 36 states poor knowledge of geography on topic I think sindudesh ,Baluchistan independence is a reality in future this people have been exploited for far to long by Punjabi elite even pashtuns are feeling the heat, with pakistan crumbling economy surviving on IMF bail outs this may happen in our life time

Keep dreaming kid. Pakistan is here to stay. Live with it.

 

[Point_4590]

Realistically speaking India and Pakistan are two countries that hold together countless Nations, people with their own unique languages, culture and civilisations.

But there is more chance of USA breaking into countless states before Pakistan breaking. Fingers crossed for Mexicans to carve out another Mexico out of USA.

We will also find 36 Indian states like that

Religion bind us together and it supersedes everything,there is nothing common with me and a common bihari and a guy in arunanchal except he is a hindu/buddhist.

 

[Jaanbaz]

Religion bind us together and it supersedes everything,there is nothing common with me and a common bihari and a guy in arunanchall except he is a hindu/buddhist.

Cultural and lingual differences eventually win over religion.