The question of ethnic nationalism is a complex one and demands closer examination.
ADDIS ABABA: This is with reference to Asad Rahim Khan’s article of November 19 “Race and sect, a nation not so united”. This was a great article that nicely summarised political problems of the country. The question of ethnic nationalism is a complex one and demands closer examination. Its resurgence has to do with the ideological conflict between religious nationalism and cultural identity. The six-decade long state policy of denying the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Pakistani society backfired by reinforcing ethnic nationalism. Personally, to me, regionalisation of Pakistani politics (the PML-N in Punjab, the MQM in Karachi, the nationalists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan) is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, after the May 2013 elections, cooperation of all regional parties is a sign of their growing political maturity and this is good for national integration.
Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy’s article titled ”Why Pakistan is not a nation and how it can be one” is an excellent work on this topic.
Faraz Kakar
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2013.
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