To say that northern and southern Punjabis are of different ethnicity is simply not substantiated by the facts.
MILWAUKEE, WI, US: Yaqoob Khan Bangash’s article “New provinces” (January 10) is the best article that I have seen on the new provinces controversy. However, it should be remembered that Seraiki, until recently, was considered a dialect of Punjabi. Moreover, even now, its vocabulary is the same as Punjabi, and Punjabi and Seraiki are mutually intelligible languages. Other than Balochi settlers in some districts bordering Balochistan, most of the people of south Punjab are ethnically similar to people of north Punjab, i.e. Jats, Rajputs, Arains and others. South Punjab needs more development money, but to say that northern and southern Punjabis are of different ethnicity is simply not substantiated by the facts.
Umer Gujjar
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2012.
