With or Without Musharraf – A Mohajir’s Perspective

“Their support of Miss Fatima Jinnah against Ayub Khan, Pakistan’s first military dictator, earned them the anger and wrath of the ruling elite, the army, and the feudal landlords of West Pakistan.”

Another statement that needs major correction. Ms. Jinnah had a huge support all over Pakistan. Even the fking Jamaat Islami was behind her. She had bigger crowds in Dacca and other parts of Bangladesh. Despite major rigging, she still got more votes in East Pakistan than in West Pakistan. This is yet another example of a not well thought out logic in the article.

Mohajir in Karachi were mad because they lost the capital but Bengalis were actually voting for democracy in Pakistan. So there was a fight in Liaquatabad over a victory parade perhaps two or three people died both Pathan and Mohajir. But who paid the ultimate price of fighting for democracy in Pakistan, Bengalis! They ended up fighting the army where mahojir leaders like Chaudry Khaliquzzamman and his wife Zahida were in Ayub Cabinet. Commodore Khalid Jamil was Ayub Khan’s best buddy in Karachi. Yes! this is the same Khaliqzamman who helped Jinnah in UP before partition.

When the Bengalis were fighting for democracy in 1971, the mohajir in Karachi, barring a few mahijir communists, were behind Yahya Khan. The crush Indian chalking allover the walls in Karachi were a witness to where Mohajir stood when Pakistan was in crisis. This group of morons had done more harm to Pakistan politics than any other group. The communalists turned fascist have always stood with the army when the poor Pakistani in the streets of Lahore, Nawabshah, Sanghar and Peshawar were standing up to the army generals and getting a beating of their lives.

Did this group of people ever support Baloch, Bengalis, and Sindhi in their fight for democracy? Never once. Even though they were united in opposing ZAB, still they supported Bhutto and the army action Balochistan in 1973.

It was the Jang newspaper, the mouth piece of the army and Mohajir that led the charge against the Baloch.

Kehan tuk Sunoo gay, kehan tuk sunaoon
Hazaroon hain Shikway, kiss ko sunaoon…..

#1 Majumdar {``Here I agree with you. Pakistan should honourably repatriate these people, who consider themselves Pak citizens. The argument that doing so will tip the demographic balance is not only immoral but also nonsensical. They are only 250,000 of them and they will not disturb the equilibrium even in Karachi, let alone the whole of Pakistan. ``}

Majumdar Sahib,
Thank you for that compassionate and logical viewpoint. If you can see the obvious rationale for this repatriation, why can`t the ``Sons of the Soil?`` Pakistanis? :)

Zeena #2, 4, and 6,
Thank you for the kind compliments. I agree that Fatima Jinnah would have provided Pakistan with a different kind of leadership than what the Ayub/Yahya/Bhutto/Zia succession of autocratic fools dealt our unfortunate country.

You are right about mohajir (as in small m) - anyone who performs hijrat like our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did in 620 AD. The word Mohajir (as in capital M) is a name given to Urdu-speaking people whose ancestors migrated from Hindustan - otherwise called ``HindustaaNRa`` or ``Panha Guzeer`` by some ``Sons of the Soil.`` Something similar to democratic ideals vs Democratic Party. :) When white Americans were searching for all kinds of nomenclature for African-Americans (Negro, Colored People, and worse), these Americans chose to call themselves ``Black`` Americans - referring to people of dark color (not all of them are so black as we all know) of African origin.

ally#27:

Punjabi Hindus did the same in India for Hindi what their Muslim brothers did in Pakistan. As for writing, to be honest, Urdu was the literary language of Punjab before the Partition for everyone - Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Hindi and Gurmukhi was learnt mostly by women and priests. Even Ranjit Singh did not try to impose Punjabi during his rule. The credit for doing so goes almost entirely to post-partition Sikhs who successfully fought for the introduction of Punjabi in India. As a result, Punjabi literature in flourishing in Indian Punjab.

#3, Farzana_Versey {``Kashmir can and is already a huge problem for Pakistan as it has unfortunately become for India. I think the whole of PoK (or AK as they call it in Pak) is a refugee land. ``}

On Singapore:
{``...It is a dictatorial democracy. I find it curious that you use it as an example. Multi-diversity is like a thali, not a gourmet meal. ....

PS: Good to see you back on FP! Won`t be interacting, so best for the interacts. Just be a gentleman and don`t keep count :-) ``}

Farzana,
Thank you for gracing my article with your presence. :) I have always appreciated your articles regardless of my own viewpoints. You have a unique style of generating interest and capturing events that most of us overlook. Then you go on to use your inimitable style of writing to awe, inspire, elevate, and even demoralize the reader - all without the boredom inflicted on all of us by so many. :)

When I stated that ``Kashmir is not OUR problem,`` I was referring to Kashmir being unrelated to Mohajirs` main concerns. I wish well for all Kashmiris, just as I wish well for Chechens, Bosnians, Kosovars, Palestinians, and the Uyghur of Sinkiang. The state of AK is indeed deplorable, again thanks to the selfish and myopic stance of the dominant province. :(

On Singapore, I was referring to its economic prosperity and diligence in accepting diversity. This was not meant to be a blanket endorsement of their ``democracy.``

Thanks to you, I am always a gentleman, I have learned many lessons - but then who is counting? Please come back and share your views whenever possible. Thanks.

Aslam 644 {``Salim,
Mohajir problem has been taken care of by demographics, I believe they are already a minority in Karachi, as time goes by there will be more immigrants pouring in, panjabis,sindhis,pathans etc. mohajirs will be reduced to tiny minority.``}

Aslam,
Perhaps - only time will tell. That is exactly why Mohajirs should wake up and make up their minds about where they want to go and what they want to do. The status quo is fine, but eventually demographics, father time, and events in the neighborhood will prevail.

Perhaps we need better immigration controls. :)

salim:

it is very evident from the posts that many in pak dislike urdu-mohajirs for whatever reasons.
your mojahir goose, in karachi, is almost cooked! unless you bring in fresh recruits from up/bihar. there must be around 40 million of them there.

nazarhayatkhan #7 {``Having said that, MQM has already saved Karachi from the fangs of Mullas (Ji, JUI, etc etc). The old Mohajir Quami Movement is, hopefully, now a history. The newer version of MQM has all the right policies & the right vision.

At times, I wonder, why MQM, PPP & ANP are always at daggers drawn. They have the same progressive secular outlook. ``}

Khan Sahib,
I agree with most of what you have stated. Unfortunately, too many Mohajirs are too seriously involved with the fundo whacko movements. Hopefully, they can see that whenever we get embroiled in Pakistani politics, we come out second best - if not the worst.

I don`t know about ANP and MQM (even the reformed and more universal version), but PPP has lost all credibility with people like me - if they ever come to power, I hope my people will take to the hills behind Hussain DaSilva with whatever they can fight back with. :)

#8 BJKumar {``Dear Salim mian,

Your historical insights on issues are – as always – very interesting. Your “vision” for the future of Pakistan is mere wishful thinking, of course! ...The problem with accepting exclusivity at one level is – it makes it virtually impossible to retain or claim honesty at any other level. ``}

BJ Bhayya,
Thank you for your feedback. I am a bit more optimistic about the future of Karachi and Hyderabad than you predict. You know my views about partition, the myopic gentleman who led the path, and the single party that usurped a vote for representation as a mandate for partition. :(

#9 by PM on April 11, 2007 3:41am PT
{``Salim miaN,
To the manifesto part of your write up, all I can say is Aameen, brother!
abay, tu siyasat meiN kyouN nahiN aata, beh? :-)``}

PM Sahib,
Thank you, my friend. I told you not to judge me merely on the basis of my support for the right of young women, despite their garb, to fight illegal activities such as prostitution and corruption. :)

As for politics, I have neither the will nor the temperament to succeed in that honorable field. I would have to start caring about the popularity of my views and how I come across in my battles against hypocrisy, discrimination, injustice, hegemony, racism, and religious extremism. Supporting Ahmedi rights and calling for the repatriation of ``stranded`` Pakis in Bangladesh are not exactly the recipes for political success in Pakistan. :)

#10 by harish_hyd on April 11, 2007 4:42am PT
{``Great work Salim!``}

Harry,
Thanks - it means a lot to me. :)

#11 samar1982 {``For bringing true secularism to Pak he should import 20 millions hindoos and a few christians from across the world !!!
...Now Indians (hindoos and muslims both) will not accept them back otherwise pipedream of reunification with India would have been a good idea. I agree, it should be left to the romantic fools for the time being. ``}

Samar Beyaasi Sahib,
I agree with you. Karachi and Hyderababd need even more diversity - especially the return of Hindus (and very few Sikhs) who left. Yes, reunification is a pipedream for romatic fools - like you and ME. :)

#14 Kulharee {``Salim: You have articulated your points very well.``}

Kullee Payee,
Thanks - As a religious person who is passionately secular, I agree that religion, in public, has brought misery and misfortune for the most part. :(

#16 klpd {``salim bay - tu tau baRa achcha likhta hai yaar``}

klpd,
Thanks - perhaps a promotion from bay to baskhbakan is in order. :)

#17, Zeemax,
Can`t wait to see your professionalism, objectivity, and clear vision as you comment on my article. :)

#18 Ally {``So basically you want to split Pakistan up! ``}

Ally,
I think that Pakistan is doing a pretty good job at it - it needs no help from me. The process started long before I was born. :(