Re: Provincial autonomy and concurrent lists
Let me address your points one by one.
- I have no personal feelings of animosity towards Pakistan and its ideology. I do have a disdain for out undemocratic rulers, whether from the army or the political parties. You can not even begin to understand how much my family or I have given for Pakistan.
Thank you very much K. I appreciate that. Here's my 'passionate defence' (of some issues only). I think, on most issues I agree with you. But I do want to counter some perceptions.
I have no personl feelings agianst any nationality let alone ethnicity. But I feel like a helpless person surrounded by many acrimonious people, who believe that I've usurped their rights only because my ancestors were from Punjab area. If I have faced any injustice in Pakistan, I can't blame anyone because I'm the 'culprit'. How can the accused resort to accusing? I wonder when the gov't of Pakistan sided with me or my family in our struggle of daily life.
About violence in Balochistan and NWFP: If you're a student of history, you'd know about the demands by MA Jinnah to introduce constitution in the areas of Balochistan and NWFP (Pakhtoonkha). Our British masters thought they were uncivilized. I'm bringing this up because we need to know about the level of 'justice' beyond these 58 years. Socio-economic change doesn't happen overnight. In many areas of NWFP and Balochistan, there's practically no gov't writ. In the tribal areas, they used to get free electricity; have no revenue collection system. Still the gov't is spending billions of rupees for the development of infrastructure in the areas where army men are shot at... the places where they don't even accept constitution. You might have also noticed the gush of positive feelings from every quarter at the demise of Wali Khan. Yes I morurn his demise. But I don't call him a great leader. He played ethnicity even on occasions when ethnicity had no role. Wasn't he the person who travelled to Karachi to lead demonstrations when an Urdu-speaking person married a Pashtoon girl against the will of her parents? (Correct me if I'm wrong). A person who showed such narrow-mindedness can't be a leader of national stature. I would say that about any Punjabi who shows similar narrow-mindedness.
The Balochistan problem has to be solved not because war-lords have amassed a huge cache of weapons, but because it's the right of every Pakistani to enjoy a good standard of life. I believe that injustices have been done to the area. But the 'struggle' you see is not a struggle for justice but a struggle perpetrated by warlords who fear the loss of their authority once economic progress comes to the area. Never before have such development plans been introduced for the area. The question is why this violence now? Do you honestly believe those tribal warlords? Little doubt, they're getting all the support from our enemies. I repeat, injustice has been done. But to root out injustice, we must root out tribal culture as well. They should be given control over their natural resources. Not some tribal clans, but the ordinary people of Balochistan.
Karachi and interior Sindh: Yes Karachi is the highest earning city of Pkaistan. Until a few years ago, California was the sixth largest economy of the world. Doesn't the federal gov't in Washington DC tax them? Don't they use the money for the development of areas that are laging behind other areas in progress? (That definitely includes areas like interior Sindh and Balochistan). The defence consumes most amout of money in almost every country of the world. That, unfortunately, is the price an independent state has to pay. A few years back, I read an article in the newspaper that called the 'fountains in Lahore' an insult to the people of lower Pakistan because they were suffering from a drought there. I wonder if anyone has called the second largest jet fountain in Karachi an insult to the people in Balochistan? I felt good about it.
I would be lying if I tell you that I have first-hand knowledge of interior Sindh. But I promise that I'll try to find as much as I could. And I also promise you that I'll talk to ordinary people about it. The money has to spent there to eradicate poverty. In a capitalistic system, gov't must ensure the development of infrastructure, educational institutions, clean water supply etc. etc. But private investors have to be there to make an investment. You can read about any successful capitalistic society.
Economically, I'm neither a conservative nor a socialist. Gov't has to provide the structure, but it's the people who have to build upon that structure. I think provinces should tax their subject themselves. The gov't can take away money that would be spent only on defence or federal admin. The rest should be dealt with within provinces. I don't want everyone to accuse me of usurpig their rights especially when I don't have my own rights granted to me. We need steel mills in Balochistan, NWFP and Punjab as well.
Media: The media in Pakistan is a 'complex enterprise'. There're a couple of media empires in the country. One led by jang group. (Their bosses are Urdu speaking to the best my knowledge); and the other led by Dawn. (The boss here is Sindhi, to the best of my knowledge. Correct me if I'm wrong). Nobody cares about The Nation or pro-Punjab newspapers. And the journos do twist their stories all the time for a variety of reasons.
Water issues: The river Ravi along Lahore is nothing but a riverbed now. There's no water. You don't want KBD, I'm with you. But I don't understand why people accuse Punjab of 'stealing' water. The Sindh minister of agriculture used to undertake sorties into the areas of Punjab to check telemetric system in order to insure there was no water theft. He couldn't find anything. Isra has memebers from all units. The federal member is non-Punjabi now. That's what has been ordained by the current president. They're always unanimously against Punjab. Why Punjab has bumber crops? Why Punjab has underground water? Come on! I heard the Urdu speaking general that Sindh gets more water per unit area than Punjab. Now how is Punjab to be blamed? Don't read only what journos in these newspapers say. Don't read the papers that boycott the other side of the story to mislead their readers. Listen to all sides and then make up your opinion. The educated Punjabi doesn't speak Punjabi now. Then people talk about his association with Ranjeet Singh! We're conversing here in English, but fight over ethnic differences that are being exploited for political interests.
I promise you, I'll try to get more knowledge about the problems (and their solution) of interior Sindh.
I'm ready to talk to anyone who beleives in Pakistan. But arguing with those who don't even believe in Pakistan is not productive activity. (It's not for you khehkeshan). Pakistan is not the only country that has problems. We can talk about northern Ireland, basque separatists, the insurgencies in so many other countries in Asia (like India). But why all doomsayers converge on Pakistan?
He’s from Delhi. He was born there. He’s said a hundred times in his interviews that he’s in command. He recently said there are ten percent officers of Sindhi origin. The number of people from Pakhtonnkha is definitely higher.
:rocketup: 