As the pillars of the founding Ideology crumble; a nation’s very foundations begin to fracture.
Questioning Iqbal’s Vision: Was the Unitary State Idea Flawed?
Was the astuteness of حکیم الامت actually objectionable to propose the injudicious notion of creation of a unitary state for Muslims of North-West India, disregarding the varied multi-ethnic realities of the region?
Muslim Nationhood: The Core of Pakistan’s Creation
As a matter of fact, the Spiritual Father of Pakistan grounded his very idea of a separate state on the concept of “Muslim Nationhood” – the mere reality that, in Iqbal’s acumen could defy every other existing discrepancy among the people of North-West India. And indeed, the genesis of Pakistan itself substantiated Iqbal’s exceptional political acumen – supporting the fact that the “nationhood rooted in Islam holds the inevitable potential to overstep every other identity of masses in actuality.”
But analyzing the contemporaneous situation, what is the underlying rationale for the existential threat of balkanization fueled by ethnic identity crisis in Pakistan? The very fact that poses genuine question on the sustainability of the idea of “Nationhood based on Islam,” and testifies the veracity of ethno-linguistic nationalism coming from the West – the idea, شاعر مشرق was strong opponent of.
Deliberate Neglect of Pakistan’s Founding Ideology
Let me set the record straight; the only underlying justification of the ethnic rift Pakistan has been going through ever since its inception is the “deliberate assassination of the founding principle of Pakistan – the Muslim Nationhood”. So when you yourself have slain the foundational axiom of Pakistan, you can’t question the perdurability of the unifying power of Islam and resultant Muslim Nationhood, as secular faction has been doing since beginning.
If Pakistan’s creation got its justification from the concept of Muslim Nationhood , the systemic survivability of Pakistan can also get its mere justification from Islamic nation-state ideology!
Reinstate حقیقی نظریہ پاکستان to Heal Ethnic Divides
And of all the approaches being endorsed to ameliorate the surging provincial rift fueled by identity crises in a heterogeneous society like Pakistan, the most rational even pragmatic one, yet camouflaged, is the “reinstatement of حقیقی نظریہ پاکستان based on مسلم قومیت”.
Cause that’s the only binding force that can overstep the varied ethnic boundaries to unify the people hailing from varied ethno-linguistic groups, i.e, Punjabis, Pashtoons, Balochis, Sindhis, Hazaras, Kashmiris as Pakistanis!
