My sympathy for the Bengalis in question is based upon the simple fact that these were Pakistanis until 1971 and many took part in 1965 war with great courage & bravery. Needless to remind that PAF pilot Saiful Azam who shot down Israeli jets in 1967 was also a Bengali.
Both sides were equally guilty in East Pakistan atrocities. It is irrational to hate Bangla Deshis because they wanted to secede. Many Baluchi want to separate, there is also a Sindhu Desh movement, before that there was Bacha Khan’s Pakhtunistan call. Urdu speakers want separate Karachi province. So we should start hating all Baluchis, Sindhi nationalists, ANP supporters and MQM followers! Pray tell me, is Pakistan only for the Punjabis?
Undoubtedly most Bengalis in Pakistan are economic migrants but so am I in UK and millions of other Pakistanis in USA, Canada, Europe & the Middle East.
We have millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan who were never “Pakistani” but politicians like Achakzai claim that Afghans have every right to remain in Pakistan. On the other hand Bengalis who were “Pakistani” until 1971 are denied the right with no politician ready to support them!
Good heavens! What have we become? It appears that the bigot Zia and his JI cronies in the attempt to make Pakistani good Muslims have turned us into narrow minded & prejudiced citizens devoid of “Compassion”.
But then who cares about humanity and kindness in a country where even angel like Abdus Sattaar Edhi had difficulty in finding a mullah to perform his funeral rites because he treated Muslims & non –Muslims with equal tenderness.
In my view, being a compassionate and kind human being is also incumbent on a good Muslim' Apparently, Salafis, Takfiris, LeJ & Taliban followers think otherwise. I leave it to my countrymen to decide what they would rather be.