Re: Pashtuns in Karachi Unite
If an overflowing ethnic patriotism is forcing us to **
*elevate certain personalities of the partition-politics to the level of *
*prophets and angels, that is another point but the fact is, *
*conspiracies, power stuggle, and conflicts did occur. And all this was *
*driven more by personal ambitions and ethnic aspirations than any *
*broader sense of patriotism or vision. The reasons are obvious. At the *
*time of partition, the only dominent communities were Muhajirs and *
*Punjabis each with an overwhelming bureaucratic representation, a *
*sizeable skilled and educated urban middle class, and suffuciently *
*developed commercial and capitalist classes. In addition to it, both, *
*in particular Muhajirs, had effective/prominent political figures as *
*leaders. Baluchis, Sindhis, and Pashtuns were weak and although *
**Bangalis were politically aware but were weak in other aspects.
Oh please save the overflowing ethnic patriotism speech. On this very message board, how many Pashtuns have elevated Bacha Khan, compared him to Gandhi? This VERY thread is the very example of Pashtun ethnic patriotism! You just don't like the Muhajir REACTION to this.
Talking about Punjabis is one thing, now your picking on one of the smallest ethnic groups of Pakistan. Remember, Muhajirs don't have a "home province," Muhajirs are not calling for Sindh to be renamed Muhajiristan. You cannot vilify a community that migrated to Pakistan, families valued education and were urbanized from the time of the formation of Pakistan.
I am not here to talk about the superiority of muhajirs but the truth is that they had the experience of bureacracy, education etc., at a time when Pashtuns were divided tribals (and to this day that continues) fighting the Mughals then the Brits. I agree that the Muhajir leadership was effective, but the average person was effective as well. Do you deny that the removal of the quota system will most benefit the Muhajir community due to their literacy levels and the tradition of bureacratic service?
At the same time, Pakistan was a newly-established state undergoing **
*large scale and rapid expansion in institutional extension, *
*administrative structures, financial/industrial sectors, *
*infra-structural development, and almost every other aspect of *
*state-building. There were immense opportunities for employment, *
*resource grabing, wealth accumulation, acquisition of political and *
*administrative powers, and cultural expression/assertion. And Muhajirs *
*and Punjabis were the only competitors. One can well imagine the *
*intense clash that ensued especially when both had sizeable urban *
*middle classes wanting power and prosperity. They also had the support *
*of print media. Punjabi interests were propagated by Nawai Waqt, Imroz, *
*Pakistan Times, and Civil and Military Gazzettier of Punjab (foremost *
**Nawai Waqt ) and that of Muhajirs by Dawn and other newspapers.
Please tell me what is the ratio of Muhajirs to Punjabis? The impact of the Muhajir community is immense, no THANKS to Punjabis, Pashtuns or whomever. Muhajirs worked hard from the bottom up. There were no 'tribes' or 'castes' or honor killings or daughters limited in education amongst Muhajirs. Whose fault is that?
Muhajir leadership was in the hands of Liaqat Ali Khan, Choudri **
*Khaliq-u-Zamman and others. Liaqat Ali Khan was concerned with *
*consolidating his power. And this he could do by building his own *
*Muhajir-based constituency and expanding his political influence into *
*the powerful province of the Punjab. As his background was fudal and *
*had connections with fudals of West Punjab from the days before *
*partition, he tried to reign in and control Punjab through old unionist *
*fudals like Mumtaz Daulatana, Mohammad Khan Laghari, etc. This greatly *
*antagonized Iftikhar Hussain Khan Mamdot, Mian Iftikharudin, Mian Abdul *
*Bari, Mushtaq Ahmad Gormani, Malik Ghulam Mohammad, and others who *
*considered these moves of Liaqat Ali Khan a deliberate effort to divide *
*Punjab's leadership, weaken Punjab, deprive Punjab of its share in *
*administrative machinary and state's assets/enterprises, and retain *
*power and wealth in his Muhajir constituency. Later, Hussain Shaheed *
*Suharwardi, a stauch Liaqat adversary, also joined Punjabi junta to *
*support Punjab cause. Suharwardi, although a Bangali, had settled in *
*Lahore. Actually, he wanted to promote himself. Fatima Jannah also had *
*grudges against Liaqat Ali Khan, whom she considered to have negelected *
*her brother's illness. Liaqat Ali Khan had Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, *
*Mumtaz Daulatana, Khwaja Nazimuddin (an old adversary of Hussain *
**Shaheed Suharwardi) his side.
Oxford educated lawyer, he was brilliant nonetheless. Your attempts to vilify him do not stand to the realities of his contributions to the Pakistan movements as the lieutenant of Quaid e Azam. WHY did a PASHTUN kill him?
What you are saying is slanderous against a true Muslim. I have yet to see you condemn that PASHTUN for killing the second greatest leader of Pakistan. The muhajir community was not even concentrated in the NWFP, what grudge or PROBLEM could L.A.K cause for the PASHTUNS? Particularly after you have acknowledged his support of Abdur Rab Nishtar?
Choudri Khaliquzaman interfered in factionalism within Punbjab Muslim **
*League so much that Nawai Waqt called him the meanest character of *
*politics. How much was Nawai Waqt, a representative newspaper of *
*Punjabi nationalism, against Liaqat Ali Khan can be gauged from the *
*fact that this nespaper in its editorials and articles blamed Liaqat *
*Ali Khan of destroying Punjab. It didn't even spare Rana Liaqat Ali *
*Khan, ridiculing her and passing scathing remarks about prime minister *
*and his wife. *
*For example, in January 1951, Liaqat Ali Khan delayed his program to *
*participate in Commonwealth Conference because some of the Common *
*Wealth members were not ready to put Kashmir problem on agenda. *
*Actually, people of Central Punjab thought that by accepting ceasfire *
*in Kashmir in 1949, Liaqat Ali Khan had betrayed Kashmiris and had lost *
*an opportunity to liberate Kashmir. On January 4, 1951, Nawai Waqt *
**wrote about this delay:
"Jin dino Liaqat Ali Khan London janai sai inkar farma kar apnai mulk **
*ka wiqar buland kar rahai thai, inhi dino karachi ki aik Tailoring Firm *
*muhtarama baigam sahiba kai lia aik shandar far ka coat tayar kar rahi *
*thi, jo khalis London mai isthimal kai liyai banwaya ja raha tha, jab *
*yai kot thayar ho kar Baigam Sahiba kai khidmath mai baija giya, tho *
*aap nai usai pasand na farmaya, awar kuch naqais nikalai, chunanchai *
*munasib islah karakai kot dubara hazirai khidmat kiya gaya, magar is *
*marthaba bi sharfi pasandeedagi na bakhsha giya awar dubaba wapas kiya *
*gaya, idhar yai kot prime minister house sai tailoring firm awar *
*tailoring firm sai prime minister house fasila thai kar raha tha, idhar *
*Mr. Liaqat Ali har rooz apni booking mansookh karkai dusrai din kai *
*liyai arazi booking kar rahai thai, yai hamarai waham guman mai bi nahi *
*askti thi, magar baaz gusthakh yai bi andaza laga rahai hain kai safrai *
*London mai jo taqwiq hoi, ismai tailoring firm ka kitna qasoor hai *
*...arazi booking awar tansikh awar tansikh awar arazi booking kai barai *
*mai aik awar latifa sunyai, iskai rawi Karachi kai aik akhbari reporter *
*hain, aik awrat Sadar karachim mai tram mai dakhil hoi, magar baitnai *
*sai pihlai uthar gayi, tram chalnai laga tho us nai phir ishara kiya *
*awar dubara sawar ho gayi, magar tram chalnai sai pihlai phir nichai *
*uthar gayi, is par tram walai nai kaha, wah bihan aap tho bilkul Liaqat *
**Ali ban gayai hain".
This may be the cheapest remarks ever passed against a prime minister **
*by a newspaper. More insulting were the remarks in the edition of Nawai *
**Waqt, January 17, 1951. It wrote:
" suntai hain kai jab London sai wazir Azam kai liyai bulawa aaya, thu **
*unhun nai pihlai is pai ghawar kiya pir hawaz kiya, pir sham ko ghar ja *
*kar apni Baigam sai is kai mutaliq un ka khyal daryaft kiya, Baigam *
*Sahiba nai buhut soch bichar kai baad farmaya 'khyal tu naik hai, zara *
*thabdili aabu hawa, thabdili ghiza, awar thabdili khyalath bi hu jayai *
*gi, bachai bi ghom lain gai, Wazir Azam nai kaha buhuth khub thu pir *
*kiya jawab dhun Mr. Atlay ko? Baigam nai farmaya 'bas yahi kai aap ka *
*bulawa hamai manzoor, hamarai khuda ko manzoor, hamarai bachoon ko *
*manzoor', shawhar nai kaha 'laikin awam ko?', jawab mila, 'ju aap ko *
*manzoor wu awam ko bhi charoon khont manzoor, bhala aap phir mahbub *
*wazir azam kahan kai hoyai, jab aap ki manzoori awam ko namanzoor na ho, *
**awar aap ko awam ki manzoori hasil karni pharai"
These inflamatory remarks about Liaqat and Rana Ali Khan, Prime **
*Minister and Mrs. Prime Minister of Pakistan, indicated how hostile and *
*rebellious had Punjabi Chauvinism become and how much its mouth-piece *
*i.e. Nawai Waqth voilated principles of fair journalism *
*to insult prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan and Rana Liaqat Ali Khan. *
*But Liaqat Ali Khan also had dictatorial tendencies. On October 8, in *
*his address to League Council meeting at Karachi, reported by Dawn *
**October 9, 1950, he said:
*"Now the importance of League Council is greater than the parliament. *
*Therefore anything said here should be according to the dignity and *
*status of this council. I have said before and this has been my belief *
*that not only the existence of League but also its power is equal to *
*the existence and power of Pakistan. As for I am concerned, I decided *
*in the beginning and now I repeat my decision that I always considered *
*myself the prime minister of League. I never considered myself the *
*elected prime minister of constitution-making assembly. The day I knew *
*I lost confidence of League, that day you will see I will not be Prime *
*Minister of Pakistan". *
*This statement explains why democracy couldn't flourish in Pakistan. *
*Liaqat Ali Khan also called Hussain Shaheed Suharwardi, his political *
*enemy, a dog and a traitor. *
Iftikhar Hussain Mamdot and Suharwardi who had formed their own **
*factions of Muslim League called Jannah Muslim League and Awami Muslim *
*League respectively joined hands by merging their leagues in Jannah *
*Awami Muslim League against the Sarkari Muslim League of Liaqat Ali *
*Khan. In May 1951, elections were held in Punjab which were heavily *
*rigged in favor of Sarkari Muslim League. Consequently, Sarkari Muslim *
*League of Liaqat Ali Khan secured 140 seats and Jannah Awami Muslim *
*League of his opponents, Mamdot and Suharwardi, secured 32 seats. This *
*further aflamed anti-Liaqat sentiments in Punjab. Nawai Waqt continued *
*insidiary articles against Liaqat Ali Khan. Therefore its registeration *
*was cancelled. But its management started publishing it under the name *
*of "Jehad", which was also banned later. Amrat Press that published *
*Nawai Waqt was also closed down. Before that, Liaqat Ali Khan had *
**enforced Governer Raj in Punjab.
Liaqat Ali Khan had consolidated his power in Council Muslim League by **
*having Sarkari Muslim League win the election in Punjab. As actually *
*Ghulam Mohammad and Mushtaq Ahmad Gormani were running anti-Liaqat and *
*anti-Muhajir campaign in the center and in Punjab province, he sought *
*to replace Ghulam Mohammad with Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar. *
*Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar was against Gormani-Ghulam Mohammad collusion *
*in the center. Liaqat Ali Khan before his assasination had asked Ghulam *
*Mohammad to resign because his health was poor and he couldn't run *
*ministry. Ghulam Mohammad requested the postponement of his resignation *
*for a few days. That had been granted so he went to stay at Rawapindi. *
*On October 16, 1951, Liaqat Ali Khan was assasinated in Rawalpindi *
*while addressing a public meeting. At that time, Ghulam Mohammad, *
*Mushtaq Gormani, Khwaja Shahabudin, Khan Qayum, Choudri Sir Zafarullah *
*Khan, and Saradar Bahadar Khan were also present in Rawalpindi. These *
*leaders held a closed-door meeting in Rawalpindi to which Sardar Abdur *
*Rab Nishtar wasn't allowed. In that meeting, Ghulam Mohammad was made *
*Governer General and Khwaja Nazimudin, Prime Minister. This had been *
*done before the dead body of Liaqat Ali Khan had been placed in *
**aeroplane for transportation to Karachi.
On 18 May, 1951, "Jehad", new newspaper after Nawai Waqt was banned, **
**had written that:
*"The idea of achieving political objective through voilence is very *
*injurious and dangerous for the country and nation...This tactic didn't *
*benefit any democratic country...Example of Iran is before us. Prime *
*Minister Razam Ali was murdered because he was blamed for neglecting *
*and betraying interests of the country but now Prime Minister Mussadiq *
*has the same worry that he might face the same consequences...The *
*weakness and backwardness of many countries is due to this *
*reason...Sometimes Prime Minister of one country is murdured and *
*sometimes that of another....For this democracy should be promoted *
*along proper lines and dictatorial tendencies should be discouraged". *
Zahid Choudri says this was directed at Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan.
*Anyhow, matters between bureaucracy representing interests of Punjab *
*and Liaqat Ali Khan, representing interests of Muhajirs, had worsoned *
*to the point of no return. *
In this clash, Ghulam Mohammad and other bureaucrats and political **
*personalities of Punjab came out victorious. Had Liaqat Ali Khan *
*succeeded, what would been the shape of the political system in *
*Pakistan? One thing is clear that he also had dictatorial tendencies as *
*well his comrades like Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar who believed, there *
**should be only one party system in the country.
Do you think I am picking on Pashtuns? If you do think that is the case, then all you need to do is read the first 5 posts of this thread and then tell me whose stirring up trouble? If Punjabis are so bad then why did the Punjabi-Pakhtun Ittehad come into play in Karachi? Why do you people intermarry in places like Hazara, Mianwali? Why does the Pakistani Armed Forces comprise of Punjabis and their junior partners, the Pashtuns?
Like I said, it was truly amazing to see someone like Musharraf rise to power, even now he his dependent on his non Muhajir upper brass for support.
If any ethnic group has really been deprived in our country, it is Baloch. A Pashtun in Quetta talking about Baloch rights is no different than a Punjabi in Karachi talking about the problems of rural Sindh. People from every community should speak for the oppressed, but must not fish in troubled waters. What if you bait a whale? Yea baby, then you’re going to have a whale of a time in troubled waters.