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Despite its descent into chaos the Pakistani nation just not seems to fragment or splinter into smaller independent states the way Yugoslavia did in mid 90s. While all the ingredients for such a scenario are in play the final recipe is not ready. At least not yet.
How does a nation besieged by terror attacks,mass poverty, unemployment ,high taxation, unbearable petrol and diesel prices, electricity shortages, constant indebtedness, rampant corruption and total governance failure still not fall over the precipice is a question that continues to puzzle many observers of this South Asian nation. Is it the resilience of the Pakistani people or their suppression by the all powerful military- intelligence apparatus ? Or is there something more to chaotic survival than meets the eye? After all Pakistan was vivisected by India in 1971 when East Pakistan was liberated to become Bangladesh.Yet a Yugoslav style completely break down looks a distant possibility even in the current critical period that engulfs Pakistan. The answer to these questions may lie in greater understanding of Pakistan’s geography and its intricate details.
It is unarguably the toughest phase in its history that Pakistan is currently experiencing. Conflict,both internal and external,and economic crisis seems to have become a part of everyday lives of its people. It is pertinent to understand that Pakistan which was carved out of an undivided India is largely an artificial construct. The reason being dysfunctional nature of its existence.
Pakistan as we see today comprises of five provinces namely Punjab,Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunwa, Baluchistan and parts of Kashmir that Pakistan administers. Now among these provinces the cultural,political, economic and social heartland of Pakistan is their Punjab province which itself was carved out of undivided British Punjab at the time of partition in 1947. Pakistani Punjab and to a lesser extent Sindh is what controls the Pakistani state. Pakistan’s elite are largely Punjabi. Their army is dominated by personnel from this province. Pakistani population is largely concentrated in Punjab and Sindh thus making the remaining three provinces minority regions. Punjab and Sindh are basically the bastion of Pakistan and its existence.
If we take a closer look at Pakistan’s annual budget a large share of funds are relegated to Punjab province followed by Sindh. The rest of three provinces name Baluchistan,KP and Kashmiri territories get what can best be described as mere crumbs. And these frontier provinces of Pakistan are exactly those regions where the current unrest has erupted.
While the frontiers of Pakistan are burning, the heartland including the Islamabad and Rawalpindi remain intact. Unlike the shatter belt,Punjab and Sindh are not up in arms with the Pakistani establishment. At least not in the same fashion. It’s not as if the majority provinces don’t experience economic crisis or face conflict. But people of these provinces, been at the heart of Pakistan, do not face marginalisation in the way other ethnicities in frontline provinces do.
Pakistan is a highly militarised nation. It has a strong military- intelligence system. This apparatus is able to suppress any uprising as long as it takes place in its minority provinces. Thus Pakistan experiences a classic case of tyranny of the majority. So while its borders are in flames the interior remains politically stable. And so long as the interior remains stable Pakistan continues to survive as a unified country albeit by the skin of its teeth.
