Pak-One, of course, no one can gaurantee (or ever has guaranteed) smooth parting of ways between ethnic groups in a distintegrating state. Neither, the spectre of bloodshed and forced migration have stopped ethnic groups from seeking autonomy and self-rule or outright sessation. If that were the case, bloodshed would never have occurred in East Pakistan and Bangla Desh and Pakistan would never have come into being (for fear of bloodshed, massacre).
Yet partition took place both in 1971 and 1947 (despite the scale of bloodshed). Were Qaued-i-Azam and Shiekh Mujib not cognizant of this? Were Yahya Khan and other generals not aware of the consequences of the extreme step they took in 1971? Of course they were but the dynamics of a failing/dyfunctional state and political system and resurgent political aspirations don’t take stock of such issues.
And that is precisely the point I want to bring home.
Rest the conversion of Pakistan into a federal state, it would be better if that happens (there seem unfortunately little chances of that). And that is what would be a step towards an eventual soft collapse.