The Pakistani nation is celebrating its 66th independence
day. The programs from the television channels and the especial editions
printed by the news papers are representing the same. The political as well as
the military administration gave the statements and the speeches regarding this
occasion. The common message from all these was very clear, i.e., the people of
Pakistan must realize the importance of the independence and to be united.
The question is, can people be united only on through empty
statements that they have been hearing for decades?
For decades, the people of Urban Sindh have been facing very
biased remarks from the politicians and other prominent people pertaining to almost
every ethnic community and/or political party. Not only just the remarks, but
also the resulting biased policies, they have been coming across. Quota system,
attacks on their colonies, military operations, extra-judicial killings and the
disrespect of their political mandate etc are just a few examples of the
discrimination.
It is fact that almost every party or community may have the
people with the extremist mentality. However, the most disappointing aspect of
this situation is that none of the “champions” of the democracy, “preachers” of
Islam and the “Philosophers” of the two-nation theory ever raised their voice
against the open violation of the norms of the democracy, the principles of
Islam and the disgrace to the two-nation theory. Rather, they extended an
indirect support to the evil mentality by expressing their complete silence on a
very clear message to the Urdu speaking community.
The question is why such messages are being conveyed to an ethnic
community where Pakistan is already fighting the war of its survival? Why are
the Urdu speaking people being considered as only the “migrants” like Afghans who came to Pakistan for shelter? Was the Urdu speaking community not the part
of the movement for Pakistan? Did it not struggle for making the dream of a
separate Muslim state come true? Why do all these biased elements forget the efforts made,
sacrifices given and the active role played by the Urdu speakers during the
Movement of Pakistan? Was Pakistan demanded and struggled for all the Muslims
of the sub-continent or only for Sindhis Punjabis, Baluchis and Pathans of
the undivided India? There have been so many biased policies towards the people
of Urban Sindh and their party MQM that it looks to as if it was not All India
Muslim League (AIML) that was formed in 1906 in Bengal, but All India Sindhi
Punjabi Baluchi & Pathan League (AISPBPL).
For instance, if this indirect impression is true that it was really
AISPBPL (All India Sindhi Punjabi Baluchi & Pathan League), then was there
any reason for it to be formed in Bengal? Would the Bengalis have let anyone
form this sort party for the piece of land in which they would have not been
allowed to live? Logically speaking, should AISPBPL not have been formed in
Larkana, Lahore, Quetta or Peshawar instead of Bengal? Moreover, would the
other communities including the Bengalis, Biharis and Urdu speakers have joined
in the AISPBPL anyhow?
It is the part of the history that the main point behind the
demand and struggle for the movement of Pakistan was “Islam” which played as a
binding force to unite together all the Muslim communities living in the
undivided India. It was the most prominent factor that made all the Muslim
Communities as the second largest community of the undivided India. But, in the
case of AISPBPL, what would have been the basis to demand for a separate piece
of land for these four ethnic communities? Would there have been any binding
force to unite the Sindhi, Punjabis, Baluchis and Pashtunes together for their
cause especially bearing in mind the prevailing ethnic differences among them
in the today`s Pakistan? Could these communities have got the same importance
as the Muslim community before the Hindus and the British Empire in the
presence of countless other ethnic communities already living in India for hundreds
of years??
It
is very frequently claimed that the Allama Iqbal dreamed of Pakistan while the
Quaid-e-Azam made it come true. So, if Pakistan was only for four communities,
did Allama Iqbal dream of this sort of ethnically based separate estate whose
doors had to be closed for the other Muslim communities? Was the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad
Ali Jinnah the leader of only four ethnic communities, and not of all the
Muslims of the sub-continent? More importantly, was that the two-nation or the
four-ethnicity theory that brought about the creation of Pakistan?
Taking into account all these facts, can we deny the equal rights
of any Muslim ethnicity of the un-divided India in Pakistan? When no, then what
happened to Pakistan after its creation? Why has Pakistan been made the country
of only four ethnicities instead of a separate state for the Muslims of the
sub-continent? Why is All India Muslim League being portrayed as the All India
Sindhi Punjabi Baluchi & Pathan League after 1947?
Israel is the country whose doors are always open for all the
Jewish wherever they are and whichever country they belong to. Israel considers
all the Jews as its prospective citizens just on the basis of their common religion.
But, in Pakistan, instead of considering the Muslims of the world as its
prospective citizens with the relation of a common religion Islam, the rulers not
only closed the doors for the remaining Muslims in India in the 50`s, but even they
started ill-treating the migrated Muslims (Muhajirs)???
Considering all these bitter facts, how can Pakistan have the required
unity? To tell the truth, if we really want our people to be untied in order to
put the country on the right track, then our rulers (political as well as the
military establishment) will have to ensure the equal rights to all the
communities in the country ir-respect of their ethnicity, sec, religion and the
region as the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah laid down in his speech of the
11th August, 1947. This is the only way to unite all the people as a
one strong nation. However, if the on-going discrimination continues, then the
future of our country seems to be very vague. May Allah save Pakistan…Aameen!
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