Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

burqaposhx · February 4, 2009, 7:00pm

The province or Sooba Sarhad or NWFP or North West Frontier province was formed by partitioning the Punjab province or Sooba Punjab in 1902.

Even though Punjab was partitioned in 1902, NWFP did not become FULL province until 1935.

This makes NWFP the youngest entity among the provinces of Pakistan.

People who are crying to name or rename Sooba Sarhad forget that Pashtoons had two major chances (1902 and 1935) to rename the province to Afghania, Khyber, Abaseen, Pakhtoonkhwah etc. But for some reason they did not.

The grand leader from Sooba Sarhad, aka Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was around when NWFP was given full provincial status. Did he start a movement to change the name of the province?

Perhaps Bacha or Badshah Khan wanted to be part of greater India, and thus ethnic nationalism was not big on his agenda.

Perhaps he wanted to maintain peace and harmony in Pakistan, so ethnic nationalism was not on his agenda after 1947.

BTW Bacha Khan always found Punjab as an oasis whenever his Pashtun opponents made his life difficult.

Thus as long as Bacha Khan was alive, things were a lot less ethnic.

It was only after his death, that Bacha Khan’s son Wali Khan adopted ethnic nationalism as his stance. This was supported by the socialists and communist sympathizers in the Frontier and Afghanistan. These socialists and ethnic nationalists received funding from the Soviet Union and Soviet-lackey India.

We must remember that no province has any hate against Pashtuns. It is OK to name Sarhad to the name of their choosing. But in doing so they must remember that the responsibility of the current conditions in the province is largely due to the role of Pashtuns, and only they can change the conditions there, in order to benefit their province as well as the benefit of Pakistan.

Oleander · February 4, 2009, 7:21pm

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

it is all just HATE, deep down ..

Zakk · February 4, 2009, 8:43pm

A bit of additional history..
Yes for about 50 years NWFP was ruled from Lahore and for about 50 years during the Durranis Punjab was a part of the kingdom of Kabul..and under the Mughals for two hundred and fifty years NWFP was governed by the governor of Kabul. And please don't compare British rule of any other provinces with NWFP..more British Raj soldiers were deployed in NWFP then most of the subcontinent combined.

The youngest province of Pakistan in 1947 was East Bengal/East Pakistan. The youngest in present day Pakistan is Balochistan.

I doubt BK was able to agitate for a name change post NWFP's creation..he was in solitary confinement or in exile with Gandhi after the Muslim Leaguers refused to help him. Post 1947 name change wasn't an issue as the main issue was the abolition of one unit. Wali Khan dropped issues like provincial autonomy and renaming for the sake of a consensus constitution and lifting martial law. Again I stress the *renaming was brought up by the PPP *..post 1988

You can argue about his and Wali Khans politics but nobody (except those who believe establishment propaganda) can accuse them of being racist or anti-so and so..the ethnic factor has always been a reaction to real and perceived discrimination by the pak state. Rather than resolve the issues of provincial rights state excesses (or papering them over) make these issues ethnic .

Please elaborate how renaming a province has anything to do with the present situation in NWFP? The creation of Wahabi and deobandi influence in NWFP was an attempt by the Pak establishment to minimise Pashtun nationalism..the end result is for us all to see..

P.s: Maybe the opponents of renaming NWFP are pro Indian because they want it to continue to be northwest of India?

From those who want to rename or those who don't?

Himalaya · February 4, 2009, 10:48pm

Quite interesting views on both sides. Burqaposhx you do miss out the fact that factors external to Pashtuns ie the Pakistan establishment, the USA and Saudi have promoted militancy within the region. These people were once Mujahids, holy warriors fighting evil. Billions of dollars have been pumped into creating them. No wonder they just wont wither away.

I have never seen a Wahabi in Pakistan and i doubt most of these militants are Wahabi.

The spread of the Deobandi school of thought to places in NWFP was in the British times. Although there are still non-Deobandis within NWFP but they probably would have become a minority by 1970.

Oleander · February 5, 2009, 7:33am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

Zakk, bro im talking about Posh. he had extreem hate for Pushtun ()which is evident from his each and every post.

NOTE: I love to bash the party/leader you mentioned in your post but it is inappropriate to blame everyone you oppose to be supporter of that party.

omairhr · February 5, 2009, 7:56am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

Afghanistan was a part of India once.... India was a part of UK once... Pakistan was a part of India once... bangladesh was a part of pakistan once...

so what?

hanibal · February 5, 2009, 8:49am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

^^ And during all this part here and part there games, common-man was struggling to make both ends meet.

Even today the situation of the common-man is more or less same, he is suffering, no chances for a better future for him...

omairhr · February 5, 2009, 9:10am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

^ its the same throughout human history. Greeks, Romans, Persians, Muslims, Europeans, Americans. All care about their own interests in the struggle for power. And they cannot be blamed for doing so, even though 'the common man' suffered all along.

Its the way the world is.

hanibal · February 5, 2009, 9:17am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

so common man should be sacrificed for the interest of others?

omairhr · February 5, 2009, 9:34am

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

It is a normative question. I don't know 'should be' or 'should not be'. But I know this is the way 'it is'.

burqaposhx · February 5, 2009, 9:34pm

Thanks for correction. It was meant to say Sooba Sarhad was the youngest province (of British-India) to join (modern day) Pakistan.

By mentioning this, the intention was to point out the fact that no-one talked about naming Sarhad as Afghania or Pashtunistan when British were around.

The name was made an issue by some socialist, pro-communist Pashtoons much later until after 1947.

Surely the issue was exploited by the Pashtoon leaders of ANP (Wali Khan) and PPP (Aftab Sherpao).

This is what we call, British kay samnay bheegi billy, or upno kay samnay sher when it comes to the name of Sooba Sarhad.

queer · February 5, 2009, 9:47pm

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

not surprising that burqaposhx thinks everything that happened under the white man's boot is gospel.

Himalaya · February 5, 2009, 9:52pm

goodpoint but purqa decided to open this thread which has no real base behind it...

burqaposhx · February 5, 2009, 11:28pm

So said a phulsaphy, using white man's language (English), on a white man's machine (computer), via white man's invention (internet).

That phulsaphy was treated like a hero by the Indian masses shouting (in English) "long live the phulsaphy".

queer · February 5, 2009, 11:48pm

Re: Sooba Sarhad was part of Sooba Punjab until 1902 - A bit of history

i have no problems using white mans technology or language without bending over backwards and licking his boots like you do, burqaposhx.

wake up, you are no less than white man.

burqaposhx · February 6, 2009, 12:01am

What reality are you looking for? Are the facts stated about 1902 not real? Did Wali Khan not start the shosha of renaming after 1947?

Badshah Khan had 45 years to challenge the naming to the British. and he didn't. Is that not real?

At least Zakk knows how to put the argument forward (without throwing one liners).

mo293 · February 6, 2009, 12:35am

Burqa, One more time, How old are you?

burqaposhx · February 6, 2009, 2:36pm

This is the same exact statement made by so-called Mohajirs.

Only people who can claim real neglect by the state are Balochis.

Rest of the ethnicities ARE THE STATE. Discrimination against Pakhtuns is a slogan mostly made popular by the socialists and pro-communists who were aligned with now-defunct afghan communists.

Their hogwash propaganda was a cover to oppose the pro-West policies of the pak-gov. Don't you even know some basic facts that Pashtuns enjoy big share in ministries and army, Urdu speaking have much bigger share in the trade and business, and Sindhis dominate politics.

Only Balochis have a marginal share in Pak institutions.

Himalaya · February 7, 2009, 1:17am

Im talking about your decision to open a thread which appears somewhat confusing.

Do you want to open a thread discussing how NWFP was a part of Punjab or a thread dedicated to bashing Badsha Khan/ANP/wali Khan etc?

They are 2 different subjects. The title indicates the former, however the main body of your post indicates the latter.

Himalaya · February 7, 2009, 1:27am

There is a lot of truth in this to an extent although one had to discuss what type of racism.

Racism and pakistan is a very complex subject. Pakhtuns are a butt of the stupid Pathan jokes which are quite evident in the mainstream media.

Although when you look at them in terms of jobs then there appears to be no discrimination. There is no shortage of Pakhtun politicians, bureaucrats, army officers, civil servants and other government workers and this coupled with the number of large and small business owners you see in most of Pakistan including Sindh and Punjab. Pakhtuns have done well if you comapre their literacy rates with Punjabis, Sindhis and Urdu speakers.