NEW DELHI: The reassertion of Punjabi domination in Pakistani politics might strengthen fissiparous tendencies there, defence analysts here feel.

Now when Punjab claims its legitimate right to control the executive in Pakistan, how will the small institute for defence studies and analyses (IDSA) feel, this theme is likely, to dominate the internal political debate,

“While the outcome of the elections can “be termed as a vote for stability, it has, at the same time thrown up certain disquieting trends which might prove fatal in the long Bee

It is undoubtedly a reassertion of Punjabi domination in Pakistani politics with Mr Nawaz Sharif, who came to limelight during Zia Ul Haq’s era and functioned as Punjab chief minister for about five years, heading the Punjabi dominated Islamic democratic alliance (IDA) government.

In a country beset with problems of national integration, ethnic turmoil and provincial feelings, this development may accentuate such fissiparous tendencies, experts feel

One cannot, at the same time, find fault ‘with the Punjabi assertiveness in the Pakistani context which, the experts think, is perfectly legitimate, for Punjab is the heart and soul of the Pakistani nation.

The size of its population, economic development, and its overwhelming representation in the armed forces and the bureaucracy give Punjab a unique position in the Pakistani body politic

There have, of course, been Conscious attempts in the pass in Pakistani to assuage the feelings of inferiority and sense of deprivation among the smaller and less populated provinces visa is Punjab, experts say.

The phenomenon of successive appointment of Sindhi politicians as the heads of government, from Mohammad Khan Junejo down to Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi even after the dismissal of Ms Benazir Bhutto, another Sindhi, illustrates the point.

But the fact remained that even then the sense of despondency and alienation of those provinces had not dissipated, experts feel.

Experts feel it will be a challenging task for the Punjabi politicians to instill in their compatriots from other provinces a sense of shared participation in nation building,

Though the Punjabi dominated Islamic Jamhoori Ittehad (131) combine has won a majority of its own in the national assembly, but not before entering into an electoral understanding with some of the regional parties.

It had formed alliance with the Awami National party (ANP) of the north west frontier province (NWEP) and the Mohajir Qaumi movement (MQM) of Sindh, These allies too did well in the elections.

This, experts say, should at least neutralize any feeling of alienation in the small provinces.

However, according to some analysts, as far as the Sindhi separatist feelings are concerned the outcome of the elections has not indicated any reassuring comfort.

Like the 1988 elections which saw a clear polarisation between the urban and rural Sindh as represented respectively by the MQM and the PPP, this time also the same trend has repeated itself more strongly)”

Article extracted from this publication >> November 23, 1990