Exactly after the unfair division of India in 1947 and the subsequent emergence of Pakistan on the map of the world a fraudulent referendum was conducted to make Pakhtun regions a part of the then West Pakistan. The referendum was boycotted by the Khudai Khidmatgars because it lacked the third option for Pakhtuns to join Afghanistan.
After achieving the required result through unfair means the establishment in higher echelons of power started exploiting the Pakhtun resources to safeguard their vested interests in the name of national interests of the nascent land. The newly born state was based on Jinnah’s ideology which was better known to the ex-master than the founding father.
The strategy which was used to justify and continue the exploitation of Pakhtun resources was the misuse of religion as Pakhtuns have been known for their inclination towards religion. They were indoctrinated by the state sponsored clergymen about the stories of ideal past to win their hearts. They were hypnotized with the nostalgic romanticism of the Arab imperialism and retrogressive cum pro-establishment version of religion to keep them away from the helm of affairs. Their energies were used in the name of religion at the altar of the state to safeguard the vested interests of the ruling junta.
Pakhtuns have been raising voice against the exploitative and unjust rule of Pakistani ruling junta. Seeing it as potential danger, the ruling elite of Pakistan is now threatening the very survival of Pakhtuns as they consider Pakhtuns as the real hindrance in the realization of their nefarious designs.
After investing in the indoctrination of Pakhtuns for decades, the establishment is now blaming Pakhtuns as religious fanatics. Even their love for their land and language – their nationalism is being made synonymous with talibanisation so they can easily be targeted. They are being presented as extremists. They are being killed and massacred in Pakistan and for Pakistan and their killers are taking the credit of their massacre to please their offshore masters.
It is time for Pakhtuns to re-think their decision of remaining a part of Pakistan in the presence of the indecisive Durand line issue. The government of Pakistan has to answer the following questions to convince Pakhtuns to remain a part of Pakistan. For the last 60 years what has the state of Pakistan done for Pakhtuns?
1. Has it changed the British pre partition name of NWFP?
2. Has it made the pre-partition Pakhtun regions of NWFP, FATA, PATA, Attock, Mianwali and 45% Pakhtuns belt of Balochistan into a single Pakhtun Province within Pakistan?
3. Has it given the share of water along with its net profit according to A.G. Qazi formula to NWFP?
4. Has it banned the inhuman FCR in the fraudulently administered tribal areas – FATA?
5. Has it built any infrastructure or done any development work in Tribal areas despite of their volunteer service of defending the western border?
6. Has it given the due proportion in the revenue of indigenous tobacco production to the provincial government of NWFP?
7. Has it established any new industrial estate or stabilized the old ones like Gadun Amazai or Jamrud industrial estates in NWFP against the vested interests of the Punjabi Feudals?
8. Has it put more effort even after 60 years than what a single man Bacha Khan had put 60 years ago to establish schools or colleges in NWFP?
9. Has it given the due importance to investment in Mineral industry and Tourism industry in the heaven like NWFP?
10. Has it established the infrastructure necessary for the development of NWFP?
11. Has it changed its policy of strategic depth to destabilize Afghanistan as the instability of the geo-strategically important Afghanistan gets reflected in the Pakhtuns regions of Pakistan and even affects the whole South Asia?
12. Has it spent even 10 percent of the US aid to invest in modernizing the security in NWFP?
13. Why most of the bomb blasts, killings and suicide attacks are in NWFP while the centers of command and control are in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi?
14. If military forces of Pakistan have been using Pakhtun regions to fight US war for the containment of Saur revolution during Zia regime and using it again to fight US war on terrorism in Musharraf regime to destabilize and control Afghanistan then is it not the responsibility of Pakistan government to reconstruct and rehabilitate the Pakhtun regions and compensate for the loss which Pakistani military has incurred in playing its role as an obedient servant to United States?
15. Has its Election commission conducted fair and free elections to give due representation to Pakhtuns and other oppressed nations so that they can put an end to the atrocities of the corrupt civil beaureocrats, military establishment , feudal lords, capitalists, industrialists, waderas and sardars?
There is a limit to exploitation and injustice. According to Ali – a wise Arab ruler: “A state can survive with disbelief but cannot survive with injustice”.
The very basis of state, according to the master mind behind French revolution - J.J. Rousseau, is a social contract between the people and the state in order for the latter to provide civil rights to its citizens. If it fails to do so it has no justification.
If the state of Pakistan cannot even assure the basic human right to live to Pakhtuns and other citizens – what can one expect about the other human rights? The civilized is justified to question the justification of such a state or atleast term it as a failed state.
The sooner the Musharraff military regime backed by the fabricated PML-Q and fascist MQM hands over the reigns of power to the real representatives of people the better it is for the national interest of Pakistan.
The national interest of Pakistan is to make Pakistan a strong democratic federation, devolve the power and autonomy to the provinces and keep minimum portfolios with the center lest it is too late and the same Pakhtuns are compelled to carry a different passport to visit Islamabad as the Muslims of Pakistan had to carry to visit Delhi after 1947.
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Pukhtoon Khan
pashtun@hotmail.com
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