Pakhtunistan Movement
May 3rd, 2008 | by Raja Ghias |In the western wing of Pakistan the speakers of Pushto-Pakhtunsled by the “Frontier Gandhi” khan at the very outset raised question demanding themselves a nation within Pakistan and thus making an attempt to undo the unity, solidarity, and security of the state which just took its birth. While the infant Pakistan appeared in the world map against stub-born resistance of Hindus India and defying dubious “divide and rule” policy of conning British this movement almost started gaining ground backed, on the one hand by elements who did never reconcile with the ideal of Pakistan and on the other by the Afghan rulers. The arguments put forward by the advocate of this movement were that besides sharing a language, they share folklore, local traditions and custom. But if these regional feeling and parochial ideals were to be nursed and nourished inspite of the fact that a major new feat of constructive statecraft had been achieved after a good deal of struggle and sacrifice and based on religious and cultural affinity on a sense of membership of a distinctive ethos, of participating in a special Muslim way of life, then was hardly any need for the demand of Pakistan.
On this point Pakistan, in fact, at times found difficult to keep good relations with Afghanistan, a neighboring State. Diplomatic ties had to be severed more than once because of the anti-Pakistan movement fostered from Kabul but in no case Pakistan became as harsh as the situation demanded. On the country, she had only wanted that good sense prevailed on the Afghan rulers and the relationship improved between them in the years to come with greater understanding.
