Pakistan's Christians Mourn, and Fear for Their Future

[Tronic]

The spectre of Zia has to be kept relevant to prove to the people that his misguided so called religious zeal was a façade. It was merely to rope in Islam and the clergy to give legitimacy to his illegal usurped regime. His adventure into Afghanistan was justified from the Islamic standpoint, but to abandon Afghanistan having done the damage just like the US, has done more harm to Pakistan than good. It has given rise to the unruly rabble, which in concert with the ethnically similar people on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line, is shaking the very concept of Pakistan!! If not controlled, will give rise to secessionist tendencies, leading to encouragement of Balkanisation of Pakistan!!

Zia's selfish motives for legitimacy by roping in religion and the clergy has also led to the violent surfacing of the sectarian divide amongst the Muslims, the Sunnis and the Shia, and both being Muslims believing in the Koran and the Prophet!!

That apart, this total confusion that is prevalent in Pakistan, thanks to Zia's legacy, has also sharpened the divide between the Punjabis and the Mohajirs. All said and done, the Mohajirs are the ones who still call the shots being more intelligent and well versed in governance.

BTW can you give the statistics of Mohajirs and the rest in governance, business, trade, industry, judiciary to include lawyers etc?

Whether you like it or not, the Mohajirs still do not have the place in Pakistan's society that they deserve thanks to their contribution and presence. Even the capital of Pakistan was shifted from a Mohajir dominated area into Punjab!!

It is not for me to comment, but all I can say is that I wish you and Tarek the best of luck.

Also hopefully, you can establish your idea in your forum.

Sir, Why do you say that the divide has sharpened between Punjabis and Muhajirs due to Zia? That divide was always there, and it is not only the Punjabis. How do you think the Sindhis are taking such a large presence of more educated Muhajirs on their land? These chaps have taken up pretty much every high position in Sindh leaving the Sindhis quite bitter. You can see this in the MQM-Awami clashes. The Sindhis have increasingly called for greater reservations and quotas for themselves. Its like the casteist politics of UP, this one being on ethnic lines.

 

[Tronic]

I am unable to understand the zeal with wish we all curse zia for bringing islamists to the front. What people here think that before zia got in to power, Pakistan was a land of milk and honey?

Zia instilled into Pakistan a right wing ideology which the poor masses today can exploit. Poor people the world over need some channel to put their frustration towards, Zia gave them the channel of fundamental islam, where before none existed. He wanted to kill several birds with one stone, namely consolidate his own power in Pakistan, channel this religious fundamentalism as a weapon against India, and unite Pakistan across its different ethnic lines by giving them a more fundamental Islam and clearer enemies to fight. But as they say. when you play with fire, you sometimes get burnt. That is the case right now.

 

[nitesh]

Zia instilled into Pakistan a right wing ideology which the poor masses today can exploit. Poor people the world over need some channel to put their frustration towards, Zia gave them the channel of fundamental islam, where before none existed. He wanted to kill several birds with one stone, namely consolidate his own power in Pakistan, channel this religious fundamentalism as a weapon against India, and unite Pakistan across its different ethnic lines by giving them a more fundamental Islam and clearer enemies to fight. But as they say. when you play with fire, you sometimes get burnt. That is the case right now.

What i understand from your post is that before zia Pakistan was land of milk and honey right? Correct me if i am wrong with my interpretation.

 

[Tronic]

What i understand from your post is that before zia Pakistan was land of milk and honey right? Correct me if i am wrong with my interpretation.

No, it definitely wasn't. But that is surely what every country strives towards, more or less. Zia comes up, because he took the country in the opposite direction, rather than towards that milk and honey.