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VIEW: Pakistan at war Jan Assakzai
The militant infrastructure, regardless of the geo-political rationale for its existence, means Pakistan will continue to live under the spectre of a full-fledged war with India
The attacks on worship places of the Ahmedis merely underscored the fact that Pakistan is at war on many fronts, involving religious and ethnic minorities, governance issues, neighbouring countries and the world at large. Let us start with religious minorities.
The bigoted state and non-state actors launched a war against the Ahmedi minority in the 1950s. In the mid-1970s, they were declared non-Muslims. Their persecution continued over the coming decades and was eventually enshrined in the law. The Shia minority community has also been targeted in different parts of the country. The recent example can be seen in Quetta where militants are continuously killing the Hazara Shia minority members. There are many examples of prejudice, discrimination and violence against Christians. The treatment towards Hindus and Sikhs does not inspire confidence either.
This is the chief reason why Pakistan ranks high on the Amnesty Internationals list of countries with endangered minorities. All this is happening in a country whose founder Quaid-e-Azam said, ...religion, caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of the state...We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens, and citizens of one state...
The other persecuted communities are the ethnic minorities. In fact, Pakistan has a history of discriminating against an ethic majority the Bengalis. Conditions were crystallised by our myopic state actors to set the stage for Bengali nationalism and eventually they were forced to secede. This did not lead to introspection or soul searching. Even the famous Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report was not made public except very late in the day, and that too only selectively. Worst still, no punishment was awarded for this grave tragedy and no lessons were learnt. Over the last nearly 60 years, the state has not been able to put an end to the estrangement of the Baloch, who have staged five insurgencies since then. The latest insurgency started in 2004, which eventually led to the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, costing the stability and peace in the mineral-rich region of Pakistan. On the other hand, the ethnic Pakhtuns are embattled against al Qaeda and its allies. Their areas FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of northern Balochistan were used as buffer territories to stop the spill-over of Pakistans proxy wars in Afghanistan into the economic, political, military and coastal hinterland Punjab and Sindh. To this end, religious extremism was deliberately promoted through a network of religious seminaries funded by Saudi petro-dollars. A right-wing religious-political leadership was imposed on Pakhtuns to facilitate the proxy wars in Afghanistan. Consequently, over seven million inhabitants are under the direct occupation of militants in FATA today, and the rest of the population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is living under the fear and intimidation of militants, while militancy is threatening to spill over into other parts of Pakistan.
As far as ordinary Pakistanis are concerned, there is another war being waged. This is indirect and invisible. The crumbling state institutions mean no provision of basic life necessities like electricity, water, food, jobs and shelter. Pakistan has miserably let down its people.
Outside Pakistan, for the last several decades, proxy wars have been underway in Afghanistan and India. Militants have held regional peace and Pakistans relations with India hostage to their agenda. The militant infrastructure, regardless of the geo-political rationale for its existence, means Pakistan will continue to live under the spectre of a full-fledged war with India. Unfortunately, the real stakeholders the people of Pakistan have no say in the formulation of these policies but they could potentially return to the stone age if, God forbid, any mishap in pursuance of these policies happens.
At the international level, Pakistan is known as the Taliban and al Qaeda country. In every plot discovered on the soil of Europe and the US, the first suspicion falls on Pakistan inevitably. The failed bomb attack in New York Times Square spared Islamabad by inches from the wrath of the superpower. On its part, Pakistan has convinced itself that it is the target of all oppression, western or otherwise, that there are conspirators behind every shadow, that everyone in the world is out to get its proverbial goat and that anyone who is not a Muslim is automatically an ally of its perceived enemies.
Hence, the latest attack is a continuation of this war we are waging at different levels as a nation. The only way out of this jam is a thriving democracy, a new social contract with religious and ethnic minorities, an end to the militant infrastructure and proxy wars, and good governance. Lack of development of internal resources and poor governance would mean more poverty, underdevelopment, authoritarianism (both from state and non-state actors), and mortgaged sovereignty for decades to come. Translating into reality the true spirit of the slogan Pakistan first is desperately needed more today than ever before. The choice has never been starker. Is the elite listening?
The writer is a London-based analyst. He can be reached at janassakzai200@gmail.com
The militant infrastructure, regardless of the geo-political rationale for its existence, means Pakistan will continue to live under the spectre of a full-fledged war with India
The attacks on worship places of the Ahmedis merely underscored the fact that Pakistan is at war on many fronts, involving religious and ethnic minorities, governance issues, neighbouring countries and the world at large. Let us start with religious minorities.
The bigoted state and non-state actors launched a war against the Ahmedi minority in the 1950s. In the mid-1970s, they were declared non-Muslims. Their persecution continued over the coming decades and was eventually enshrined in the law. The Shia minority community has also been targeted in different parts of the country. The recent example can be seen in Quetta where militants are continuously killing the Hazara Shia minority members. There are many examples of prejudice, discrimination and violence against Christians. The treatment towards Hindus and Sikhs does not inspire confidence either.
This is the chief reason why Pakistan ranks high on the Amnesty Internationals list of countries with endangered minorities. All this is happening in a country whose founder Quaid-e-Azam said, ...religion, caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of the state...We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens, and citizens of one state...
The other persecuted communities are the ethnic minorities. In fact, Pakistan has a history of discriminating against an ethic majority the Bengalis. Conditions were crystallised by our myopic state actors to set the stage for Bengali nationalism and eventually they were forced to secede. This did not lead to introspection or soul searching. Even the famous Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report was not made public except very late in the day, and that too only selectively. Worst still, no punishment was awarded for this grave tragedy and no lessons were learnt. Over the last nearly 60 years, the state has not been able to put an end to the estrangement of the Baloch, who have staged five insurgencies since then. The latest insurgency started in 2004, which eventually led to the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, costing the stability and peace in the mineral-rich region of Pakistan. On the other hand, the ethnic Pakhtuns are embattled against al Qaeda and its allies. Their areas FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of northern Balochistan were used as buffer territories to stop the spill-over of Pakistans proxy wars in Afghanistan into the economic, political, military and coastal hinterland Punjab and Sindh. To this end, religious extremism was deliberately promoted through a network of religious seminaries funded by Saudi petro-dollars. A right-wing religious-political leadership was imposed on Pakhtuns to facilitate the proxy wars in Afghanistan. Consequently, over seven million inhabitants are under the direct occupation of militants in FATA today, and the rest of the population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is living under the fear and intimidation of militants, while militancy is threatening to spill over into other parts of Pakistan.
As far as ordinary Pakistanis are concerned, there is another war being waged. This is indirect and invisible. The crumbling state institutions mean no provision of basic life necessities like electricity, water, food, jobs and shelter. Pakistan has miserably let down its people.
Outside Pakistan, for the last several decades, proxy wars have been underway in Afghanistan and India. Militants have held regional peace and Pakistans relations with India hostage to their agenda. The militant infrastructure, regardless of the geo-political rationale for its existence, means Pakistan will continue to live under the spectre of a full-fledged war with India. Unfortunately, the real stakeholders the people of Pakistan have no say in the formulation of these policies but they could potentially return to the stone age if, God forbid, any mishap in pursuance of these policies happens.
At the international level, Pakistan is known as the Taliban and al Qaeda country. In every plot discovered on the soil of Europe and the US, the first suspicion falls on Pakistan inevitably. The failed bomb attack in New York Times Square spared Islamabad by inches from the wrath of the superpower. On its part, Pakistan has convinced itself that it is the target of all oppression, western or otherwise, that there are conspirators behind every shadow, that everyone in the world is out to get its proverbial goat and that anyone who is not a Muslim is automatically an ally of its perceived enemies.
Hence, the latest attack is a continuation of this war we are waging at different levels as a nation. The only way out of this jam is a thriving democracy, a new social contract with religious and ethnic minorities, an end to the militant infrastructure and proxy wars, and good governance. Lack of development of internal resources and poor governance would mean more poverty, underdevelopment, authoritarianism (both from state and non-state actors), and mortgaged sovereignty for decades to come. Translating into reality the true spirit of the slogan Pakistan first is desperately needed more today than ever before. The choice has never been starker. Is the elite listening?
The writer is a London-based analyst. He can be reached at janassakzai200@gmail.com
