Political Crisis Inside Pakistan
Pakistan facing internal and external crisis since many years fighting against Taliban based in Pakistan and outside its own territory.The sectarian strife being witnessed by Pakistan establishment.The number of sectarian conflicts has increased since 2011.It notes that Baluchistan has bore the brunt,followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/FATA,Sind and then Punjab.The means adopted in the various incidents of violence and an understanding which has been arrived at for addressing these episode events reveal an emerging triad among sectarian groups,extremist groups and covert and overt support by political parties.This emerging trend suggests that not only this triad will exacerbate the social fabric of Pakistan,but also polarise the polity and society of Pakistan,further raising the broader questions associated with the nature of leadership exercised in post-colonial states.The political changes which were taking place in Pakistan neighbourhood at the regional level and the strategic cold war rival between US and Russia at the international level.A continuity rather than a break from the past is thus reflected in the pattern and structures visible in the Shia-Sunni conflict in Pakistan.The emerging trends in Pakistan linkages between political parties and militant groups in the electoral campaign of 2013,it claims that there were a covert understanding between the militant group,Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan-TTP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-PML-N,the federal government headed by Nawaz Sharif at the center and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-PTI government in Khyber province.It argues that in the course of electoral campaign in May 2013,the TTP had openly threatened parties like Pakistan People's Party-PPP,Awami National Party,where no threats were made against PML-N and PTI.The differences in spatial sectarian violence in Pakistan,it argues that the reason why Punjab has been bereft of rising sectarian tensions is the alleged mutual understanding between Sunni extremism groups and the Punjab government where the latter would avoid cracking down on these groups in return for sparing the province.As a consequence of this arrangement,while Punjab will be spared of violence,it nevertheless would emerge as a potential jehadi hub in future.While such views of accommodation also find resonance in Pakistan's national interests and other fora.The cobweb of internal and external interests clearly reveals the complex interactions which govern the causes behind such incidents.Redressal and response mechanism to such conflicts and violence are thus hostage to the emerging politics of accommodation.
The subtle balancing or the politics of accommodation which the Pakistani state is evolving into,has unleashed the chain of mutual retaliation since 90s,where the minority shias-which includes around 13% of the total Muslim population in Pakistan as compared to the overwhelming Sunni majority-have adopted equally reactionary violent attacks to protect themselves.The attack on a Sunni seminary in Rawalpindi on November 2013 by Shias is a case in point.The South Asia terrorism tabulation of incidents of sectarian violence is an instructive power.Few incidents of Shia retaliation,which span last years,reveal that Shias have been targeting members of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat-ASWJ,a Sunni extermist group.While the Shias from Sind,Baluchistan and Khyber have also alternatively been demanding justice from their governments,the Sunni extremists have however,continued their attacks with impunity.The sectarian strife reveals that the idea of Pakistan is indeed getting blurred with every incident of sectarian violence.The conditions of Muslims in Islamic state of Pakistan is worse than in secular India.While Ahamadis have been declared non-Muslims,killing of Hazara Shias is rampant.Blasphemy law is being applied to persecute Christians.Minority Hindus are migrating to India and refusing to go back to Pakistan.Churches,temples,non-Islamic monuments are regularly burnt.Moderate Muslims,like Salmann Taseer,who dare speak against the atrocities face death.The divisive Jinnah failed Pakistan and Pakistan has failed the secular Jinnah.
By Anil Kumar Upadhyaya
New Delhi-7/1/2015
