Part I & II: IS THE VERY HISTORY OF PAKISTAN SINCE ITS INDEPENDENCE A WHITE HISTORY OR A BLACK HISTORY???? Although literally the History of Pakistan encompasses the history of the region constituting the modern day State of Pakistan. But here in this very discussion I shall mainly focus on the History of the State named Pakistan since its Independence on 14 August 1947. Prior to independence in 1947, the land that is now Pakistan was a part of the British Indian Empire. Prior to that it was ruled in different periods by local kings and numerous imperial powers. The ancient history of the region comprising present-day Pakistan also includes some of the oldest empires of Indian Subcontinent and some of its major civilizations. By the 18th century most of the land was incorporated into the British India. Pakistans Political History began with the birth of the All India Muslim League in 1906 to protect Muslim interests, amid neglect and under-representation and to oppose Congress and growing Indian nationalism in return the British Raj would decide to grant local self-rule. On 29 December 1930, philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal called for an autonomous new state in northwestern India for Indian Muslims. The League rose to popularity in the late 1930s. Muhammad Ali Jinnah espoused the Two Nation Theory and led the League to adopt the Lahore Resolution of 23 March 1940, demanding the formation of independent states in the East and the West of the British India. Eventually, a successful movement led by Jinnah resulted in the partition of India and independence from Britain, on 14 August 1947. On 12 March 1949, the second constituent assembly of Pakistan passed the Objectives Resolution which was proposed by the first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, proclaimed that the future constitution of Pakistan would not be modeled entirely on a European Pattern, but on the Ideology and Democratic Faith of Islam. The legislative elections in 1954 saw the Awami League coming to power and its leader Huseyn Suhrawardy becoming countrys first Bengali Prime Minister. Promulgation of Constitution in 1956 lead to Pakistan declaring itself an Islamic Republic (Official Name) with the adoption of parliamentary democratic system of government. The constitution transformed the Governor-General of Pakistan into the President of Pakistan (as the Head of State). Subsequently, Iskander Mirza became the first president as well as first Bengali in 1956, but the democratic system was stalled after President Mirza imposed the military coup détat and appointed Ayub Khan as an enforcer of martial law. Two weeks later, President Mirza was ousted by Ayub Khan; his presidency saw an era of internal instability and a second war with India in 1965. Economic grievances and political disenfranchisement in the East Pakistan led to violent political tensions and armed repression, escalating into guerrilla war followed by the third war with India. Pakistans defeat in the war ultimately led to the Secession of the East Pakistan and the Birth of Bangladesh in 1971. Democracy again returned which was resumed from 1972 to 1977 under leftist PPP led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, until he was vanquished by General Zia-ul-Haq, who became the countrys third military president. Pakistans Banished-Secular Policies were replaced by the New Islamic Shariah Legal Code, which increased religious influences on the civil service and the military. With the death of President Zia-ul-Haq in 1988, the new general elections announced the victory of PPP led by Benazir Bhutto who was elevated as the countrys first female Prime Minister of Pakistan. Over the next decade, she alternated power with conservative Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML(N)) led by Nawaz Sharif, as the countrys political and economic situation becoming worsen. Military tensions in the Kargil conflict with India were followed by a 1999 coup détat in which General Pervez Musharraf assumed the executive powers. Self-appointing himself as the President after the resignation of President Rafiq Tarar, Musharraf held nation-wide general elections in 2002 to transfer the executive powers to newly elected Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who was succeeded in the 2004 by Shaukat Aziz. During the election campaign in 2007 following the parliament completing its term on 15 November 2007, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007 which resulted in a series of important political developments when left-wing alliance led by PPP formed the Federal Government. The historic general elections held in 2013 marked the return of PML(N) coming to national prominence with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assuming the leadership of the country for the third time in the history. Creation of Pakistan. On 15 August 1947, the British Empire divided the British Indian Empire into two independent and sovereign countries, India and Pakistan. Immediately after the independence, both nations joined the British Commonwealth. The independence of India and Pakistan created the inter-religious violence of such magnitude that exchange of population along religious lines became a necessity in each country. More than two million people migrated across the new borders and more than one hundred thousand died in the spate of communal violence, that spread even beyond the divided provinces. Major violence erupted following the division of Punjab, Bengal, and Kashmir which escalated into leading to the first war between India and Pakistan. With assistance and further United Nations (UN) and Soviet Unions involvement ended the war but it became a hitherto unresolved Kashmir dispute. Following the independence, the Pakistan became involved in continuous territorial disputes with India (in east) over Kashmir and Bengal and with the Afghanistan (in west) over the tribal line. Its political history has been characterized by authoritarian military rule and the brief democratic competition between right-wing conservatives and left-wing parties throughout its history. [To be Continued]. NOTE: The Uploaded Photograph with this Post is from the renowned Hollywood Movie Film entitled Bhowani Junction based upon a History Fiction (Romantic) Novel of the same Name. The Story of Bhowani Junction revolves around the Period of the Independence of Pakistan and India. In some Scenes/Shoots of this Film are Lt. Shahnawaz Khan [who died as a Colonel in 1969 at Gilgit in a road traffic accident] of Village Janda, Swabi and Mr. Raheem Gul [In Charge, Police Musical Band, N-WFP] of Village Kotta, Swabi. Prof. Dr. Taskeen Ahmad Khan.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 18:39:38 +0000
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