Decoding Pakistan’s Punjabi Problem.

[Tiger Khan]

Punjabis are (for all practical purposes) masters of Pakistan, because they make over 50% of the population of Pakistan and other ethnic minorities have to suffer because of their lack of knowledge and confidence. Here are few points that may be cause of the actions (or inaction) that Punjabis take:

· Punjabis have never had any empire, only Punjabi empire from this region was Sikh empire (who were a minority and non-Muslims). Therefore, Punjabis do not know how to handle power or the repercussion of what happens due to use of such power.

· Punjabis have always been agriculturalist, they think that since they produce so much grain everyone else is dependent on them for the food they produce. Not knowing (or understanding) that agriculture is not the thing in today’s world. And the rest of the province have enough resources to support themselves and even more. (Being able to produce a lot of grains gives them a sense of pride)

· Punjabi is not an ethnic group per say. It is an amalgamation of many ethnic groups who happen to live together and speak similar language. In fact anyone who is fair in Punjab is considered either Punjabi or Pathan, and if that person doesn’t speak Punjabi he is definitely a pathan. (Shows lack of knowledge of other cultures)

· Punjabi consider it their national duty to ensure that Pakistan stays sovereign and intact. However, they were the cause Bangladesh seceded and Baluchistan is asking for it. While KPK and other Pashtun territories will be plunged into it as well. They fail to understand that Pakistan is a federation and every ethnic/religeous groups right has to be protected. Bengalies (they were dark therefore, considered inferior by Punjabies) asked for their right and nothing more. If Baluchistan, KPK, Sindh etc. wants their rights it has to be given to them, if the federation has to be protected. Moreover, Language and Internal Map of Pakistan was not a word of God and can be altered.

· Punjabi language is also not very old and due to the lack of ethnic cohesiveness and the fact, that most of the empires of sub-continent region ruled over them in some point and time, has resulted in no love for Punjabi language in Punjabis. Therefore, they consider the language something unimportant, as many languages and cultures have already been imposed on them (the region has been called “Motel of Empires” by some historians) by various rulers and faded with those empires.

· Finally, Punjabis can throw their weight around due to the sheer size of their number, However, Punjabis confuse this ability to influence public policies the superiority of their intellect. When most of the policies forwarded by them gets approved because there is Punjabi at every level, not because they are smart and can make most viable and wholesome argument. And this also extends internationally, if you give nato supply lines do not expect Afghans to thanks you in return etc etc. In today’s world, information is readily available and everyone knows who is stabbing them in the back, so countries now have to have clear foreign policies, do not expect other to not know, when you are sleeping around.

[Bengal_Tiger]

A very good analysis and write-up.

There is so much I could say about this but for now suffice to say everything you say is completely correct and you have expert knowledge of this as you are a Pashtun living in Punjab.

[Badlun]

Punjabis are not only good in agriculture but also in industry and services. The hub of textile industry is Faisalaabd, the electric and metallurgy in Gujrat and sports goods as well as surgical instruments in Sialkot. Lahore is also an industrial city. Hotel and other services are very strong in Punjab.

They are shrewd and professional people. They do not live in nostalgia of empires and padarm sultan bood mentality. Hats off to Punjabis .

In Pashtun areas you will not find neither agriculture nor industry nor services , the three pillars of economy. What you find is abundance of Fazlullahs, Omars, Haqanis, false pride of graveyard of empires which made the Pashtunland land a real graveyard. The only industry we have is the illegal arms and pressure cooker bombs for suicide attacks.

[DSM0305]

Punjabis are not only good in agriculture but also in industry and services. The hub of textile industry is Faisalaabd, the electric and metallurgy in Gujrat and sports goods as well as surgical instruments in Sialkot. Lahore is also an industrial city. Hotel and other services are very strong in Punjab.

They are shrewd and professional people. They do not live in nostalgia of empires and padarm sultan bood mentality. Hats off to Punjabis .

In Pashtun areas you will not find neither agriculture nor industry nor services , the three pillars of economy. What you find is abundance of Fazlullahs, Omars, Haqanis, false pride of graveyard of empires which made the Pashtunland land a real graveyard. The only industry we have is the illegal arms and pressure cooker bombs for suicide attacks.

Are you by any chance a Punjabi?

[Shehbaz Khan]

Couldn't say it better than Badlun

[Badlun]

Are you by any chance a Punjabi?

I am not a Punjabi because I am not living in Punjab. My stand on Punjabis can be better understood in one of my article which I reproduce below.

The myth of Punjabis Pashtuns enmity and blame game of Pashtuns

Pashtuns generally blame each and everything on few other entities like Pakistani army, ISI , Punjab and Punjabis etc. We feel satisfied that we put the blame on Punjabis and our work is done. In this article I would like to have a threadbare analysis of this trend of Pashtuns to blame others specially Punjabis for all the problems of Pashtuns.

For me Punjab is a land, a province of Pakistan and India and all the people living there are Punjabis who may speak different languages as Seraiki, Hindko, Potohari, Gujri, and even Pashto. Punjabi is not a race or ethnic group like Pashtuns. Even a Pashtun who lives in the province of Punjab is a Punjabi because he is living there but by race or language or ethnicity he or she is Pashtun. Using Punjabi as a race for people is a misnomer which must be rectified. Punjab is land of five rivers derived from Panj means five and Ab which means water.

Punjabi as a language is a very weak language; it’s very similar to Urdu and has never been a medium of instruction or a court language. It does not have any strong literature as compared to Pashto. Pashto has a rich literature and is the official language of a country Afghanistan. There is no any such culture as Punjabi; it can be Indian, Hindu or Sikh but not Punjabi as such. There is no Punjabi nationalism like Pashtun nationalism. There is no Punjabi movement for promulgation of any Punjabi culture on Pashtuns even the Punjabis themselves are leaving their language and culture and all these educated Punjabis now mostly speak Urdu and not Panjabi.

Keeping all this in view I don’t understand why we Pashtuns are so much afraid of Punjab and Punjabis and blaming them for all our faults and problems. I see in a remote Pashtun village when they write Urdu or Dari on their sign boards, who are that Panjabi who is telling him not to write Pashto instead.

The basic purpose of this article is that we may not blame Punjabis for our problems, Punjabis are culturally weak people and are generally not nationalists .Rarely they organize events like Alamami Panjabi conference but it’s the right of any people to have such conferences.

Some Pashtun circles think that Punjabis are very clever people. I agree that they are concerned with their commercial and agricultural activities. This way they are intelligent, not like Pashtuns who instead of business and other useful activities are involved in religious extremism and terrorism .Majority of Punjabis live in rural areas .They are simple and innocent people . As they are in majority in number, about 49 % in Pakistan , that is why they may seem to be oppressors , and some of them may be really oppressors, but instead of blaming them we Pashtuns should make ourselves strong enough not to let Punjabis to grab our rights

Pashtuns should be involved in more productive and educational activities instead of tribal wars and terrorism and smuggling etc .Lets forget Punjabis as cause of our problems , lets make ourselves strong by education, commerce, agriculture, culture , sports, media etc

I want to generate useful, intellectual discussion on few myths that we are living with them for the last many centuries, much have been written and spoken on the other side of what I write like Punjabis being enemies of Pashtuns, Tajiks being our enemies etc

Look at the history of Pakistan, has there being any important Panjabi president or prime minister , no ,the same in Afghanistan, all presidents/kings were Pashtuns(for Tajiks and Pashtuns. I am writing a new article) in Pakistan, Muhamamd Ali Jinah, Liaqat Ali Khan, Ayub khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Musharaf, Asif Ali Zardari , etc all are non Punjabis, even Nawaz Sharif is a Kashmiri, not pure Panjabi.The present prime minister Gilani is Seraiki, not pure Panjabi. What I want to prove is that the ones who remained at the helm of affairs in Pakistan were non Punjabis.

Then Punjabis in Pakistan are not that much nationalists as Pashtuns, Sindhis, Baluchs. They being a race are a very weak group, there are many races and castes, even they are not a nation or one race, and the people in the area of Punjab are Punjabis, not like Pashtuns who are one race, one blood, one genealogy. Punjabis speak many languages, have many religions, many races, many castes, different cultures, there is not a single political known party on the name of Punjabis as Pashtunkhwah Mili awami Party etc,

The killers in Pashtuns areas are government people , not Punjabis as a race who are coming to Pashtunkhwah to kill Pashtuns, being their enemies as in a genocide, We don’t have any Panjabi movement against Pashtuns, Pashtuns are being killed because of their own faults, because of international politics and because of state policies not because of any Panjabi adverse movement against Pashtuns

Pashtuns may understand this harsh reality. Instead of blaming Punjabis, we must concentrate on our pitfalls, lets think creatively, not on these traditional lines that our misfortunes are because of Punjabis or others, lets think differently now. My approach will seem bizarre to many but if you think with a impartial objective mind you may find some truth in what I request here

We may not compare the case of former East Pakistan now Bangladesh. First because it was a wrong decision to make Bangladesh part of Pakistan being 1000 miles away and India an enemy in between, second, Bangladesh being a different culture and language totally different, third it was because of the non Punjabis Ayub khan and Bhutto that they started separating . That was a problem between the two wings, East and West, not between Punjabis and Bengalis two opponent races , it was not a racial genocide , it was a political phenomenon.

Another resembling case is the name Hindu. Hindu is again not a race or nation, the people living near the river Indus are Hindus, whether they speak Hindi or not, there are thousands of languages in India, thousands of races and many religions all are not Hindus . Another connotation of being Hindu is religiously Hindu, but again Hinduism is not purely a religion .Its a social order. People can take name from the area where they live but this does not make them a race. It will have a name like Punjabis, living in the area of Punjab but racially they are either Gujars, Rajpoots, Chudris, Sardars, Jats, even Baluchs, Pashtuns etc

One person can have many identities, being a human being, then living in the area of Punjab, Panjabi, by race Pashtun, by religion Muslim, by political nationality Pakistani, by profession teacher, by blood relation son or father, etc

My point is Pashtuns are superior to Punjabis being one race , one language, one blood not like Punjabis who are a diverse group of races and people and religions Pashtuns should not afraid of Punjabis. Punjabis can’t do anything against Pashtuns. Pashtuns are enemies of their own selves, not the other way round that Punjabis being a race or people are their enemies.

One might know that the sociological or political terms like NATION, RACE, PEOPLE, TRIBE, EVEN RELIGION etc are very difficult to be defined. There are various aspects of these definitions and various approaches and opinions. I will not get stuck in these intricacies, and I agree that Panjabi has its own identity but this identity is not that strong as that of Pashtuns

What I want to prove here is that Punjabis as a race or social order or tribe, or cultural group, or as a nation are not enemies of Pashtuns. They are not bent upon destroying Pashtuns , it can be a policy which can be Panjabi or non Panjabi origin but Panjabi whatever you call them nation or race , are not as such enemies of Pashtuns , its just a myth making Punjabis as a nation or race responsible for Pashtun misfortunes. We should not show supremacy or difference of races as it will be racism, the same I will try to use in my favor that we as a race may not blame the whole Panjabi people as enemies of Pashtuns, it is generalizing things.

Punjab or any other entity cant rule, can’t subdue Pashtuns if Pashtuns in Pakistan are strong enough to counter any effort of subjugation by others. If we have the right leaders, nationalist parties rule Northern and Southern Pashtunkhwah, Tribal areas are merged with a united Pashtunkhwah province with full autonomy then all this sense of deprivation and inferiority complex of blaming others specially Punjabis will be vanished.

[Karachi]

^ that article doesn't include the fact that the army is largely controlled by punjabis. Anyone who controls the army, can basically do anything anywhere. This is also the reason they are very nationalistic supporters of the army and ISI.

They need to be more realistic and see that their army and ISI are just tools of the West and Saudis, they are brainwashed in to thinking that Pakistan is the most Ideal of Islamic nation, not sure why are they blind.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Punjabis are not only good in agriculture but also in industry and services. The hub of textile industry is Faisalaabd, the electric and metallurgy in Gujrat and sports goods as well as surgical instruments in Sialkot. Lahore is also an industrial city. Hotel and other services are very strong in Punjab.

They are shrewd and professional people. They do not live in nostalgia of empires and padarm sultan bood mentality. Hats off to Punjabis .

In Pashtun areas you will not find neither agriculture nor industry nor services , the three pillars of economy. What you find is abundance of Fazlullahs, Omars, Haqanis, false pride of graveyard of empires which made the Pashtunland land a real graveyard. The only industry we have is the illegal arms and pressure cooker bombs for suicide attacks.

I believe Only Education is the answer to Pashtuns of Pakistan.

we can become educated and industrialist like them,They are freaking ahead of anyone in pakistan in education.

Will you believe that here in KPK the medical merit list stopped at 72.41% in 2011 when i got admission while in the same year in Punjab at 88%.

The Per capita income of Punjab is said to be around 1800$(Considering 250bn usd of GDP or most latest GDP figure) making them almost twice richer than average pashtun and almost 4 times more richer than average Afghan despite having anything significant in Punjab.

Being pashtun we should accept our problems and than only we can move forward.

But i see atleast now The pakistani pashtuns are moving forward and i see a very Great future for them especially the education sector.

Recently KPK hiked the education budget to about 20% of the total Province Budget.

[Friends of Baloch]

Punjabis, historically, were peasants and servants and used to being attacked and conquered by invaders from the north and the west of the Indus river. They were known to history until the Brtish period simply as Hindus, or by their "caste" ie, Jat etc Punjab was an impoverished and backwards region for most of its history and was not a mass producer of agriculture until the British came and built the canal systems for them, allowing large tracts of desert to become arable land, particularly in what today is southern Punjab. Punjab before the British era was not a mass producer of agriculture, just a land of backwards farms, scattered villages and unemancipated peasants living under harsh cruel Hindu caste system that barred them from access to higher learning and access to "high society". This is the truth even into the British era.

These Indians that today are known as "Punjabis" were always treated with contempt by both their conquerors and within their own Hindu civilization, whether that contempt came by virtue of existing at the bottom of the Hindu caste system or due to their abhorrence in the eyes of their foreign conquerors. This explains much of the deep rooted inferiority complex, meekness, frustration yet passive aggressiveness and hollow sense of superiority found in today's Pakis. These are all typical Punjabi personality traits.

There are numerous Persian language chronicles and literature spanning several centuries from about the time of the Ghorids (and possibly before) all the way into the mainstram days of the Moghal empire that consistently deride the peoples of the northern Indian subcontinent (particularly the region now known as Punjab; previously known simply as Hindustan until about the 17th century) and show total contempt and distaste for them. And the Punjabis of today know this and that this was the attitude that the Persians, Turks, Afghans and even Arab travellers had for them.

This explains in part why these weakling Punjabis try to shun their forefathers and are so desperate to fabricate a false identity for themselves by claiming that they are actually the descendants of the triumphant races who conquered and humiliated their ancestors for centuries rather than accept the truth about their inferior and lowly position throughout the ages. The other reason they live in denial and try to rewrite history and fabricate a modern identity based on a perversion of Islam is because they are a Hindu people that mainly were on the low end of the Hindu caste system. So they feel ashamed on both accounts of who and what they are. But even after taking on Islam, these Punjabis still pratice their caste system and discriminate against their own kind.

So Punjabis carry deep psychological wounds and scars that have been inflicted upon them by century after century of defeat and servitude under foreign rule. Foreign rule which had imposed on them much humiliation, but also overwhelming foreign cultural dominance that Islamic, Persianate and then later Afghan then British cultures have left upon them.

Even the very name "Punjab" was imposed on them by the Moghals and the borders of this "Punjab" were drawn from start to finish by the British. The "Punjabis" did not have any say in the matter of what and where "Punjab" is and who constitutes being a "Punjabi". This is why "Punjabis" are made up mainly of Jats and other Hindus that can be found living around other parts of the nothern and western Indian subcontinent, and not uniquely in "Punjab".

This is all a very humiliating legacy that has left these Pakis deeply scarred, confused about who and what they are, and envious but awe inspired with their former masters too.

[jankhan]

Unfotunately our govts have been very incompetent at the other Punjabis have got Chief Minister like shehbaz sharif for the third time. He is an active guy all the time thinking for their people and doing something. You will see him visiting Turkey, China, Saudia inviting investors to his province at the other hand our prime ministers whether it hoti, durrani or the present khattak dont get tired of taking protocols from police and army.
our Chief ministers are living the life of kings. In Punjab it is only the northern punjab which is prosprouse and on the way to progress, the southern punjab is worse.
Punjabis have got so many advantages one of them is that the capital is very adjacent to punjab, then Rawalpindi is the capital of pak army so all the richest people have gathered there then people like malik Ryaz have invested huge money in housing and there is almost all the industry of Pakistan is in Punjab.
Our pashtun land and pashtuns have potential but we dont have a sincere leadership to lead us to the right way.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Unfotunately our govts have been very incompetent at the other Punjabis have got Chief Minister like shehbaz sharif for the third time. He is an active guy all the time thinking for their people and doing something. You will see him visiting Turkey, China, Saudia inviting investors to his province at the other hand our prime ministers whether it hoti, durrani or the present khattak dont get tired of taking protocols from police and army.
our Chief ministers are living the life of kings. In Punjab it is only the northern punjab which is prosprouse and on the way to progress, the southern punjab is worse.
Punjabis have got so many advantages one of them is that the capital is very adjacent to punjab, then Rawalpindi is the capital of pak army so all the richest people have gathered there then people like malik Ryaz have invested huge money in housing and there is almost all the industry of Pakistan is in Punjab.
Our pashtun land and pashtuns have potential but we dont have a sincere leadership to lead us to the right way.

very well said brother

We still have no leader like Shehban Sharif,He will run for his state always,

The present Khattak is even worse,

We pashtuns should end our differences and work together

Form a union of all as a United Pakhtunkhwa(KPK-Southern Balochistan-FATA and even the margalla hills of Islamabad which were part of KPK originally)

this would make it a bigger state something like punjab and than we can go united.

[Iqbal]

Punjabis, historically, were peasants and servants and used to being attacked and conquered by invaders from the north and the west of the Indus river. They were known to history until the Brtish period simply as Hindus, or by their "caste" ie, Jat etc Punjab was an impoverished and backwards region for most of its history and was not a mass producer of agriculture until the British came and built the canal systems for them, allowing large tracts of desert to become arable land, particularly in what today is southern Punjab. Punjab before the British era was not a mass producer of agriculture, just a land of backwards farms, scattered villages and unemancipated peasants living under harsh cruel Hindu caste system that barred them from access to higher learning and access to "high society". This is the truth even into the British era.

These Indians that today are known as "Punjabis" were always treated with contempt by both their conquerors and within their own Hindu civilization, whether that contempt came by virtue of existing at the bottom of the Hindu caste system or due to their abhorrence in the eyes of their foreign conquerors. This explains much of the deep rooted inferiority complex, meekness, frustration yet passive aggressiveness and hollow sense of superiority found in today's Pakis. These are all typical Punjabi personality traits.

There are numerous Persian language chronicles and literature spanning several centuries from about the time of the Ghorids (and possibly before) all the way into the mainstram days of the Moghal empire that consistently deride the peoples of the northern Indian subcontinent (particularly the region now known as Punjab; previously known simply as Hindustan until about the 17th century) and show total contempt and distaste for them. And the Punjabis of today know this and that this was the attitude that the Persians, Turks, Afghans and even Arab travellers had for them.

This explains in part why these weakling Punjabis try to shun their forefathers and are so desperate to fabricate a false identity for themselves by claiming that they are actually the descendants of the triumphant races who conquered and humiliated their ancestors for centuries rather than accept the truth about their inferior and lowly position throughout the ages. The other reason they live in denial and try to rewrite history and fabricate a modern identity based on a perversion of Islam is because they are a Hindu people that mainly were on the low end of the Hindu caste system. So they feel ashamed on both accounts of who and what they are. But even after taking on Islam, these Punjabis still pratice their caste system and discriminate against their own kind.

So Punjabis carry deep psychological wounds and scars that have been inflicted upon them by century after century of defeat and servitude under foreign rule. Foreign rule which had imposed on them much humiliation, but also overwhelming foreign cultural dominance that Islamic, Persianate and then later Afghan then British cultures have left upon them.

Even the very name "Punjab" was imposed on them by the Moghals and the borders of this "Punjab" were drawn from start to finish by the British. The "Punjabis" did not have any say in the matter of what and where "Punjab" is and who constitutes being a "Punjabi". This is why "Punjabis" are made up mainly of Jats and other Hindus that can be found living around other parts of the nothern and western Indian subcontinent, and not uniquely in "Punjab".

This is all a very humiliating legacy that has left these Pakis deeply scarred, confused about who and what they are, and envious but awe inspired with their former masters too.

Punjabis are heir to one of the great empires, the Mughal empire.

Tajiks pretty much invented the great Punjab nation.

Ahmad Shah Massoud, the National Hero of Afghanistan, was a Lahori/Samarqandi........a Punjabi.

They shall remain guardian and protector of the sub-continent.

[Friends of Baloch]

Lol

Punjabis are heir to one of the great empires, the Mughal empire.

Tajiks pretty much invented the great Punjab nation.

Turkic invaders to India invented the name "Punjab", Moghals formalized it, and the British officially drew it on the map.

You are proud of this?

Ahmad Shah Massoud, the National Hero of Afghanistan, was a Lahori/Samarqandi........a Punjabi.

The paki says that Massoud was a Punjabi!

They shall remain guardian and protector of the sub-continent.

Punjabi track record of "guarding" the Indian subcontinent is a pathetic 100% defeat in every enounter with invaders.

[Friends of Baloch]

We pashtuns should end our differences and work together

Form a union of all as a United Pakhtunkhwa(KPK-Southern Balochistan-FATA and even the margalla hills of Islamabad which were part of KPK originally)

this would make it a bigger state something like punjab and than we can go united.

You are trying to mislead people.

Pashtun and even Baloch always said that Pashtun territory should be united into a single political unit. But opposition has come only from punjabi establishment.

There is nothing for Pashtun side to do because Pashtuns have already made their demand. But Pashtun demand for single Pashtun polity has already been rejected by punjabis.

This is not fault of Pashtuns "not working together". Thus is punjabi treachery against Pashtuns.

[Iqbal]

Turkic invaders to India invented the name "Punjab", Moghals formalized it, and the British officially drew it on the map.

You are proud of this?



The paki says that Massoud was a Punjabi!



Punjabi track record of "guarding" the Indian subcontinent is a pathetic 100% defeat in every enounter with invaders.

lol


Khwaja Shakarganj Massoud Khujandi and Bulleh Shah, and many others, the early speakrs of Punjabi language who composed poetry in that language and made it mainstream, were Tajiks who had come from Central Asia.

Those early "Turkics" had long become culturely non-Turk and Tajiks were very much involved in the process.....

Ahmad Shah Massoud, a Panjshiri Tajik, still has pure Lahori Punjabi family members.

Persian speakers of Afghanistan and Iran wont allow any seriuse harm to be brought upon Punjabis.