Is Pakistani not our ethnicity/identity?

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
1

Here’s what somebody posted in an earlier thread:

If Pakistani is not anyone’s ethnicity, couldn’t the same also be said about Punjabi? The words ‘Punjab’ (Panj=Five, Ab=Water) and ‘Punjabi’ didn’t even exist till the Persians gave these names to this region and its inhabitants because of the five rivers.

Punjabis are not exactly one ethnic group are they? You have Jatt, Rajput, Arain, Gujjar, Awan and numerous other different tribes/castes who are all ethnically/racially different from one other.

They all speak different dialects that were more commonly known as Majhi, Doabi, Jhangvi, Multani, Pothohari, Malwi etc. just because they are closely related does not make them one language, all languages belonging to the ‘Lahnda” group are very closely related.

Why is Pakistani not enough as an ethnic identity?

2

Coz it's not :p

''we made you into nations And tribes, so that you may recognize one another''...

so i think your ethnicity is different to your nationality.

just my 50cents.

3

Yeah but couldn't the same be said about Punjabi? Punjabis are not one homologous group are they?

What is ethnicity? Is it your nationality, race, religion, culture, clan, tribe or language?

4

bulleya...kee jana mein kon

5

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by MyStiCaL_MisS: *
''we made you into nations And tribes, so that you may recognize one another''....
[/QUOTE]

Well Pakistan is our nation and our tribe is our tribe/clan (Awan, Khojey, Yosufzai, Uqaili etc.) but as a nation we’re Pakistanis, other identities just seem unpatriotic.

My point is just like people of different ethnic/racial backgrounds have made Punjabi etc. their identity they should now move forward and make Pakistani their sole identity.

The different cultures need to be mixed together, more intermingling of the four cultures needs to occur, what we need is interethnic marriages and we need to take from each other’s cultures so that Pakistan becomes one "wish washy" nation.

The way things are at present Punjabis feel associated with Sikhs, the Pakhtuns with Pashtuns, Sindhis with Rajasthanis and the Baluchis with Iranian-Baluchis which is very un-cohesive for Pakistan.

6

You say your pakistani, when you are with, say africans..
then when you are with pakistanis you can say your punjabi,,
then when you are with punjabis,, you say ur jatt or woteva...
thats how it's used to 'recognise one another'....

Being just pakistani is not possible i guess,, coz everyone is of another subculture which makes up pakistan itself..
:p

7

i think we should consider oursleves Muslims above all else, then Pakistanis and only after that shall cast, tribe, creed etc or other ethnicity be mentioned. our identity right now is in belonging to the Muslim community, and in being citizens of Pakistan.
problems arise when we begin to hold casts, tribe etc above religious identity and national identity.

8

Harris Zubairi :k: :k:

Some people take these things so seriously that they will feel closer to a Pakistani of their own sub-ethnicity than one of another.

To me people say from Karachi are just as ‘apne’ as someone from Attock my hometown.

Language is probably the main problem, there’s a communication gap, greater efforts need to be made to promote Urdu and demean local languages. :smiley:

9

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Zakiii: *

The way things are at present Punjabis feel associated with Sikhs, the Pakhtuns with Pashtuns, Sindhis with Rajasthanis and the Baluchis with Iranian-Baluchis which is very un-cohesive for Pakistan.
[/QUOTE]

Zakk Jan, i don't get your point. Can you explain to me the bolded section above.