G.M.Ghanjera

Dear friends.
We have very serious concern over the demand of new Pathan or Pakhtoon Kha province and its proposed boundaries,It shows that thinking of Pakhtoon leadership is very imperialistic.
It is very much clear in the history that Mianwali never have been part of Pathans or Pukhtoon area. Although during Ranjeet singh period administrative boundaries of Punjab were different,even though the Kabul and Pehsawar were the part of Punjab.When East India company came in power Bannu was the part of Punjab and Mianwali was the Tehsil of Bannu.1901 Mianwali was up graded as district(Bhakkar the part of Layyah was included in Mianwali and declared it Tehsil same as part of Punjab,which is now a seperate District.
The inhabitants of Mianwali historically speak Thalochi which widely called Seraiki.
When Niazi pathans entered in Mianwali then its name was Moazam Naggar , Khokhars and Ghakhars were the main tribes of this area,the language and culture of the area was so rich and strong that pathan who spoke pushto had to adopt Seraiki and Seraikis obsorbed them soon that is why now they cannot speak pushto but speak seraiki.
keeping in mind Mianwlai have been always part of Thal,desert and heritage of district is its clear proof.
We condemn the demand of new Pukhtoon Allience and urge to reappeal this fake statement as soon and apologize seraikis as well as Balochs.

Dear Ganjhera Saab,

Your concerns about the creation of this Pukhtoon Alliance are quite right. Among its other demands , they have demanded inclusion of Mianwali and Attock in this newly created Pukhtoon Province. They alliance has demanded that new Pukhtoon province is created by merging the NWFP and parts of Baluchistan . Their this demand ignores the fact that NWFP includes the areas where population is predominately non Pukhtoon like Dera Ismail Khan , Abbotabad and Manshera .

If Pukhtoons feel that their interests are endangered in Baluchistan province then who they could be sure that the other ethnic groups (NonPukhtoons) with in NWFP dont have the same feeling.

As far as Seraikis of Dera Ismail Khan are concerned their fate at the moment seems quite hopeless and depressing. In NWFP they have very little acceptance and all Seraikis are considered inferior race and termed as JUT , which is used in derogatory sense. As a matter of fact many Pukhtoon used to tell Derawals that one day they (pukhtoons) will kick them (Derawals) out of Dera.

District Dera Ismail Khan used to be a relatively well off district but now situation is completely different , most of the people are living on the fringes of the poverty line. Locals sold huge chunk of lands to Pathan Drug and Ammunition Barons due to poverty.

You are right that Pukhtoon nationalist parties have quite imperialist mind set . Most of these pukhtoon nationalist believe that "Only Germans or Pukhtoons" can rule the world. They indeed have tendency of considering every land as part of Pukhtoonistan where ever they lay their feet . They had claim over Kundooz , where their forces were literally crushed by the local people.

However the most agonizing fact is that any such platform is non existant which could be used to safe gaurd interest of 50 million Seraikis of Pakistan .

Regards

Post edited by: fmiana, at: 2007/07/27 04:29

Post edited by: fmiana, at: 2007/07/27 04:54

This message was originally Posted on Yahoo Seraiki Group by Mushtaq Gadi.

We, Seraikis, need to ponder deeply the meaning and implications of the joint statement issued by this new Pakhtoon nationalist alliance. It major demand is "to form a separate province comprising Pukhtun-majority parts of Balochistan and NWFP with a new name of Pakhtoonkhwah and Pashto as its official language". It apears good change if Pakhtoons become genuinely interested in linguistic nationalism and want to undo colonial territorial configuration. It corroborates with the demand of Seraiki people for their separate province along national-linguistic line.

However there are genuine apprehensions among Seraikis, Balochs and Hindku speaking people against colonial and hegemonic intentions of Pakhtoons. They must engage on this issue and seek further clarification of the statement.


Regards,

Mushtaq

Post edited by: admin, at: 2007/07/27 13:02

Friends,

Don't you think we are jumping faster in drawing conclusions from the Pakhtoon declaration. [And, I am afraid, focus the Pakhtoon move is somewhere else, not Mianwali etc., think of the situation in the region!!!] And have the Pakhtoons repeated any claim on Mianwali etc.? (the declaration is not available to me). But even if so, the importance is of the ‘rule’ of ‘provincial boundaries’ drawn along language line’. This and only this carries the weight; rest is struggle and negotiations.

They want their Pakhtoonkhwa outlined on linguistic boundaries. Why to conclude ‘anything’ from that?

This is for first time that a nation in Pakistan unambiguously defined its nationhood and extended its claim on the basis of lingo-cultural principle. This should be respected. Peoples’ will, anyway, remains the deciding factor—Brahuis, for instance, will prefer to live with Balochi language group. But that will make sense after the lingo-cultural right granted in principle.

The formula, in itself has answer to your questions.

Do we expect Pakhtoons to also define the nationalist strategies of other nationalities, can anyone dictate Punjab?

And lets avoid helping those who will see mutual differences of nationalities and language-groups in multilingual Pakistan not as natural part of a democratic process but as a threat to "national integrity" which would deserve immediate action from the state.

I think we need not advance our fears against the declaration. We should in stead respect the principle of the ‘lingo-cultural’ definition of a people recognized by Pakhtoons. The demarcation problems will not end here, but at least the nationalities will have a tool to take the course of national politics forward.

The Pakhtoon brethren have come out with a sane political decision.

There might be points of disagreement in the detailed declaration, and also implications for the state of Pakistan, or these will emerge in the process to follow, but surely will be resolved if things take a positive direction. Mind that there is ray of hope, these days, people, and political groups of warring factions in Pakistan agreeing on resisting foreign intervention, a dream used to be repeated in cliché ‘anti-imperialism’ in the past.

Ahsan Wagha

Pakhtoons nationalists are not the first one in demanding the separate province on the basis of linguistic-national basis. These are Seraikis who have first time articulated and then upheld this principle of the constitution of provinces on the basis of linguistic-national lines. This demand bother other nationalist groups who fear to be looser in their respective provinces. Therefore, the demand for provincial autonomy has been their main strategy.

Mushtaq Gaadi

Dear Wagha Sahib
I agree with your linguistic-cultural theory for new province .but there is no linguistic -cultural base in new pakhtoon kha province .Mianwali .Hazara 'Barkhan 'D.I.Khan and some other areas are not basically Pakhtoon Kha areas .Pakhtoons are migrated in this area.Seraiki .Hindko and Khetrani speaking people are real inhabitants of these areas .So new province is not correct demand of Pakhtoons .
Aslam Rasoolpuri