It is undesirable to use the word ‘muhajirs’ when describing the Urdu-speaking community
KARACHI: Designation of the Urdu-speaking community of Pakistan as ‘muhajirs’ is not appropriate. Only those people who take refuge in our country on a temporary basis can be called ‘muhajirs’. Those who came from India to Pakistan in 1947 were immigrants. Out of them, only those immigrants were given the right to claim compensation for their immovable property, who belonged to eastern Punjab or Delhi as these areas were agreed upon for the exchange of population in accordance with a deal between Pakistan and India. Most of them suffered immensely due to the massacre in Punjab.
In view of this position, it is undesirable to use the word ‘muhajirs’ when describing the Urdu-speaking community. We should coin a special linguistic term for Urdu-speakers, who are actually permanent settlers of Pakistan. Instead of debating about legal immigrants, it is time to talk about numerous illegal immigrants, including dangerous ones, who pour across our porous border and wreak havoc on the country’s security.
Taraq Jazy
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2014.
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