NWFP to be renamed Pakhtoonkhwa: Zardari

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
241

Thanks for the info.

The bottom line is that we all agree that renaming/naming/renaming etc. are trivial issues to begin with. Opposition to such trivialities makes them much bigger that what they should have been in the first place.

Pakistani ruling elite and educated elite (both Pashtun and non-P) have gotten into non-productive things so many times.

This is comical and perhaps tragic to see such debates.

If we ever develop non-tribal aka civilized ways, we could be debating how to do the following:

  1. raise the standard of living of Pakistanis (everyone)
  2. create love, harmony, or at least tolerance towards each other
  3. Find quick agreements on the ongoing issues such as electricity, petrol, and natural gas etc.

The reason Pakistan is not progressing at the pace we all would like is simple!

Our priorities about nation are all out of whack.

Once we set the priorities right, believe you me, Pakistan can change in 10 years.

p.s. We all should learn the lesson from the bad ways Kabulies have living in the last 100 years.

Look how ethnic chauvinism of Kabulies has treated their minorities like Hazara. And look how Allah's punishment has come down on this gad-awful country. If we continue following the same inhumane and tribal ways, we too soon will become Islamic Jannat of Afghanistan, or Somaliaetc. or other Jannats like Sierra Leon, or Liberia etc.

It is still time for Pakistanis to repent. Still time! But it is running out fast.

242

PML-N is only echoing the sentiment of MILLIONS of non-Pashtoons in Frontier. WE are Qazalabash, Syeds, Gujjars, Kohistanis, Awans, Kayanis, Shehris (Peshawar/Kohat) Hazarawals., Seraikis of DIK.

The name should be changed to simply Khyber, Abaseen but not an Ethno-centric name.

The racism of Pashtuns in Afghanistan (64% of Hazarajats were killed by Pashtoons in Afghanistan) has destroyed Afghanistan. Don't destroy Pakistan and Frontier by catering to the over blown egos of Pakhtoons and ANP.

By renaming Frontier into Pakhtoonkhawa it will become another Balochistan. We already have to deal with racism of Pakhtoons don't make it worse for us.

Or we need a seperate Hazara province and our full rights to the Tarbela dam which is right now stolen by Charsadda and Mardan.

And those claiming Punjab or Sindh to be an Ethnic name are not right. If Punjab was renamed 'Alaqa-Jat' or Rajputana it would be ethnic. Calling it Punj-Ab = Land of Five Rivers does not make it ethnic name. Neither is 'Sindh' an ethnic name.

Name of Balochistan should also be reverted back to Kalat as it was ruled by the Barohi (not Baloch) Sardars (Khan of Kalat) for centuries prior to merger with Pakistan.

Safar

243

You are so right in terms of your analysis of different ethnic groups in that gad awful country called Afghanistan.

However we should not "equate" all Pakistani Pashtuns with afghistani version, even though many Pakistani Pashtuns would love to call themselves Afghanis.

Here is why?

This has to do with the realities on the ground!

Pakistani Pashtuns have not killed Pakistani - Hazaras in large number. Many big name Khans in Pakistan are in fact of Hazara decent. Example Gen. Ayub Khan.

Thanks to a much bigger multi-ethnic environment in Pakistan, MOST of the settled areas in the NWFP and other provinces are relatively open to different ethnicities.

So a Pashtun, Hazara, Qazilbash etc. can relatively easily buy a shop / store / house in Lahore, Pindi, and even in Karachi (just keep an eye on certain localities).

Same is true (however to lesser extent) for people from other ethnicities doing business in Peshawar.

ANP in Pakistan used to shout $tupid slogans. They have changed for the better.

Most of the Pakistani institutions like executive, judiciary, military etc. has good relations among its Pashtun and non-Pashtun members.

Thus it will be safe to say that Pashtuns in Pakistan will not behave with cruelty towards non-Pashtuns as they do in Afghanistan. Because they happen to belong to different groups who evolved in two different countries.

And thus it is ok to rename NWFP to Pashtunkhawa

However we must realize that the name changing is trivial and the real issues for P-khawa remain to be solved

like

law and order
change in the status of FATA
abolition of FCR
harmony with other provinces on the issues of gas, water, electricity
Jobs that will come with stability in the country

etc.

244

MANY Pakhtund dont even support the renaming to an ethnic name and if it is ignored it wont make the situation day by day any worse at all. What makes things worse is INEQUALITY and CORRUPTION.

The only tension it causes is at the middle and upper class level - where there are people with less important things to worry about.

245

This is where your ignorance sometimes really shows. Gen Ayub Khan was a Pathan/Pashtun of the Tareen tribe. Tareens are ethnic Pashtuns not Hazaras.

I doubt if any Hazara's have settled in the Hazara division - there does not appear to be any if they survived. The major tribes/ethnic groups in Hazara are Pathans/Pashtuns belonging to Jadoon/Yusufzai/Swati/Tareen/Tanoli tribes, Aawans, Abbasis, Sardars, Sattis, Kiyanis, Gujars, Syeds, Kohistanis.

There may have been a point in history where descendents of Ghengis Khan may have settled in Hazara but they dont appear to be there now.

Hazaras which are known as Changezi's in Pakistan emigrated to Quetta before the formation of Pakistan from Afghanistan because of persecution. There is a large community there who consider themselves proud Pakistanis.

246

ANP has not changed its colors. They have only changed temporarily, because they need the "Punjabi Dal-Khor" (ANP words not mine) Army to fight the war against the Talibans. As soon as this war is over, ANP will be back showing its true racist colors.

At least MQM has made an effort to become a National Party, ANP has never even tried. This acceptance of Pakistan by ANP is only temporary.

Safar

247

The reality is that Pakistan needs to change these current provinces which are indeed a threat to its existence.

Its unfair to compare what happeed with Hazaras in Afghanistan to Pashtuns and ther doings in Pakistan. I dont think pashtuns have commited atrocities anywhere in Pakistan. In fact the fact that Quetta predominantly has Pashtuns, both from Pakistan and Afghanistan has made it more easier for Punjabis to stay in Quetta. The Baloch woul have driven out Punjabis long ago.

Ps i dont think that 64% figure is true.

248

I think in terms of political parties MQM is scraping the barrel. They are the most low level party in Pakistan. I think part of what you say about the MQM is right but they are no way as bad as the MQM. The MQM contains many ruthless people who act like a mafia and allegedely have links with RAW. They have murdered and bullied their way to power. They have a stranglehold over Karachi.

Altaf Hussain burnt the Pakistani flag and called the partition the biggest mistake when visiting India. Or did he call the creation of Pakistan the biggest mistake?

I agree with one thing - the ANP true colours will be revealed in time. Many ANP activists and supporters on Facebook display the Afghan flag.

To defeat the Taliban the Americans are or eventually will nurture Pashtun secular nationalists. I believe they have already started and these people will be a threat to Pakistan.

249

very true.khyber is the best.

250

Bhai,

you can list all the tribes, and I have personally met big name Khans in Abbotabad region and they do not consider themselves part of Pashtuns.

But this is besides the point.

I say change the name of NWFP, regardless of what goes on in F-ghanistan.

And then more importantly let's all sit together to solve the real problems facing Pakhtoonkhawah in particular and the rest of Pakistan in general.

251

According to the following source,

Mousavi, Sayed Askar (1998) [1997]. The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study. Richmond, New York: St. Martin's Press.

more than 60% of Hazarajats were either masaccared or forcefully moved from their homes by the Amir Abdul-Rehman Khan and their land was given to Kochi Nomadic Pashtuns. The book has conservative estimates.

Interestingly enough many Afghan Pashtuns feel 'proud' at this massacare of Hazarajat even still. Following is a Pashtun forum:

(Website is not allowing me to post a weblink)

Many of these Hazarajats migrated to Quetta. Right now Pakistan has over 0.5 million of Hazarajats mostly in Quetta. General Musa Khan (COAS Pak Army) was also a Hazarajat. Recently Saira Batool, a Hazarajat girl became one of the first Pakistani female Airforce Pilot.

Safar

PS: Ofcourse, Hazarawals of Frontier are ethnically different from Hazarajats of Quetta.

252

Re: NWFP to be renamed Pakhtoonkhwa: Zardari

i think hazara with only 3 districts (batagram and kohistan r not hinko speaking) can not be made as separate province, it will b joke if done.

if non-pashtuns in pakhtunkhwa r so unhappy with us then their areas should be excluded frm pakhtunkhwa.
chitral-kohistan shud go to gilgat-baltistan, haripur shud go to punjab and manshera, abbotabad shud join kashmir. problem solved.

253

this post is now showing racist overtones.

We thought this thread was to rename NWFP and that's all. No one should even talk about carving the province.

Name change is kewl and kosher.

Carving up NWFP along ethnic lines is estupeed at the minimum and at its worst it is like Paks copying yet another despicable aadat of Afghanistanis.

254

racist overtunes?? are you in your right senses.

255

Carving up a province along ethnic and racial lines is what it is ---- Racism!

256

Name change is absolutely Kosher as long as the rights of the minorities (in Millions) is also protected by the federation. As sulch Abaseen, Khyber etc is perfectly fine.

Interesting to note that the same chauvinism happened in Afghanistan which was encouraged by the British!!!!

The name 'Afghanistan' for the entire country did not exist a little more than a 100 years ago. The name 'AfghanLand' (for the whole of Afghanistan) was first mentioned in the 1879 treaty of Gandamak between the British-India and the Amir Mohammed Ayub Khan

Prior to that even the Abdali rulers referred to themselves as Rulers/Amirs/Kings of Khorassan and Kabul. There was even a mostly independent Kingdom of Balkh. However as the Durrani kings backed by the British (great game) asserted control over the rest of the country the name 'Afghanistan' was adopted in place of Kabul/Khorassan.

This also led to forceful massacares and removals of Hazarajats and the defeat of Persians from Herat backed by British-Indian Army (first Anglo-Persian war). The British created a supremacy of Pashtun rulers (like the coloniast did in Rawanda between Hutus and Tutsis). The name 'Afghan'istan (Afghan is synonymous with Pashtun) enforced it was land of Pashtun and not of others.

Don't let the same happen in Frontier. Change the name to Khyber, Abaseen!

257

Re: NWFP to be renamed Pakhtoonkhwa: Zardari

@Saffar
why u r mentioning again and again that pashtuns of pakhtunkhwa may massacre minorities? why you are promoting false and baseless bullshyt?
What incidents have made you feel insecure and to hate pashtuns so much?

258

Don't make up your own lies. Quote me where I said that?

259

Re: NWFP to be renamed Pakhtoonkhwa: Zardari

lol so you have edited your above post.

260

ANP has always had racist tones. Both covertly and overtly (ever heard speaches of Afrasaib Khattak or Shahi Syed?).