JSSA Vol. VII, No.

1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

Muhammad Nawaz Khan 1

Abstract

National integration solidifies the foundation of

nationhood, which is crucial for national security
against internal and external challenges. The study
argues that there is a thin line between centripetal
and centrifugal forces, which stimulates
unfavorable environment having specific
characteristic and features. Therefore, the
multiplicity of languages, races, ethnicities, and
sects are being influenced from that particular
environment, which may serve both as ingredients
of national integration and disintegration. Based
on secondary review of academic sources, this
study discusses that the issues such as leadership
dilemma, bad governance, socio-economic
disparity, ethno-cultural polarization, sub-
nationalist politics, fragile national unity under
federalism, extremism, national identity crisis and
modernity confusion are the main challenges to
Pakistan’s efforts of national integration. It also
suggests ways and means to address the issues of
national integration.

Keywords: Two-nation Theory, Socialism, Enlightened Moderation,

Muslim Identity, National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, National

1
Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Khan is a Research Associate, Islamabad Policy Research
Institute (IPRI), Islamabad.

34
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

Action Plan, 18th Amendment, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, China-

Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Introduction

“National integration indicates national consciousness, a common

national consensus and common national identity, where regional sub-
cultures get interacted into a national political system” 2 in order to
keep intact their cultural, political, religious, and ethnic sub-identities,
equally enjoying their socio-economic rights and opportunities, which
is essential to enhance the national integration process. “It is a process
through which people having common goals, sense of belonging and
patristic sentiments arrive at a consensus on social, political, cultural,
religious and economic cohesion with diversity.” 3 Common goals,
interests and preferences may create a sense of unity among
fragmented elements of society, which helps in laying the foundations
of constructive nationalism against internal and external challenges.
“National integration includes a confidence in nation’s future, a
continuous rise in the standard of living, development of feeling of
values and duties, at good and impartial administrative system and
mutual understanding.” 4

Socio-cultural, and ethno-lingual diversities are the centrepiece of

national integration, wherein the intermingling diversities enrich each
other and in no way weaken them. The provinces of Pakistan are rich in
socio-cultural, and ethno-lingual heterogeneity, and the phenomenon
of national integration has to run in the backdrop in engaging the

2
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, “Challenges and Policy Options to
National Integration in Pakistan A Comparative Analysis,” Journal of Law and Society,
Vol. 44, no. 64 (July, 2013), 1.
3
Ibid., 3.
4
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, “Issues of
National Integration in Pakistan with Reference to Balochistan,” Pakistan Social
Sciences Review, Vol. 4, no. 1 (March 2020), 205.
35
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

provincial citizenry, acting as a bonding material of harmony and co-

existence, thus enabling the centripetal forces to take on a central role
to intraregional integration. Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, and Pashtun
nationalisms are always at the heart to form Pakistani nationalism,
which is crucial to solidify the foundations of nationhood.

In this scheme of things, it is also observed that the intersecting

features make unification of the fragmented strands of society an
uphill task in the pluralistic society of Pakistan, where multiplicity of
cultural and ethnic traits crosscut each other for their competing
interests in attaining specific goals of ensuring maximum shares within
the meagre national resources. This competition has made national
unity difficult for national integration.

Ever since the creation of Pakistan, the country has remained

entangled with the multiple challenges: bad governance; socio-
economic and power disparities; politico-ethnic polarization; racial and
lingual differences; civil-military and of late judicial confrontations;
weak political system and leadership; ideological identities; religious
extremism and sectarianism; modernity confusion; national identity
crisis; and threats to territorial integrity from neighboring countries.
The mistrust between the Centre and the small federating units infused
by a sense of deprivation has piled up the problems being exploited by
the hostile exogenous elements. These challenges have complicated
the process of national integration in Pakistan.

The consciousness of separatism usually emerges in suffocated

societies having internal crevices created by their ethno-lingual, racial,
caste, and creed corrosions. With the deepening of these fault lines,
the sub-nationalists try to exploit loyalties of the dissatisfied factions to
their advantage. Therefore, in Pakistan, the centrifugal elements within
the country’s “national politics have promoted separatist tendencies

36
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

and identity crisis striking at the very soul of Pakistan’s ideology.” 5 The
emerging situation gets ripened to be exploited by both the Islamists
and secular political entities for their own vested interests. The
sectarian extremist tendencies under the guise of Shia, Deobandi and
Barelvi sects have further threatened national integration and
challenged the very birth of Pakistani nation.

Concept of National Integration

National integration signifies a continuous process bonding together

the individuals from various socio-cultural and ethnic backgrounds into
a common national identity to create the joint sense of oneness,
harmony and national consciousness. Further, it is a process that offers
different segments of society an “identical prospects and equal rights” 6
guaranteed by the constitution for enjoying several socio-economic
and political avenues without any discrimination.

More precisely, national integration is a quest for unanimity within

the state regardless of religion, race, creed or ethnic traits and
language. It ties up every section of the society for a combined purpose
of serving and developing a nation state therefore, it has great bearing
and relevance to national security and nationhood.7 A nation is an
evolved community having particular territory, common history,
values, language, ethnicity, and psychological characteristics of
oneness.

Nation-building and state-building are twin processes of the

concept of national integration, which is vital to national cohesion and
security. Nation-building refers to creating psychological sense of unity
without any particular linguistic and regional affiliations. State-building

5
Jehanzeb, Perveen & Fayaz, 1.
6
Syed Jawad Shah & Waseem Ishaque , “Challenges of National Integration in
Pakistan and Strategic Response,” ISSRA PAPERS, Vol. IX, no. II (2017), 35.
7
Ibid.
37
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

is a process of territorial integrity in which separatist feelings are

absent within the geographical boundaries of the state “where the
administration of central and state government runs.” 8

There are multiple interpretations of the concept of National

Integration. According to the Dictionary of Political Thought,
integration is a process in which various segments of society enjoy
equal privileges including social, educational and recreational
opportunities without any discrimination.9 It further describes that
“integration is the process, whereby all institutions are made available
to all members of the state irrespective of creed, race and origin with
the intention of forming a unified civil society within the jurisdiction of
a unified state.10

H. A Ghani describes national integration as a “socio-psychological

and educational process through which feelings of unity, solidarity and
cohesion develops in the hearts of the people, fostering a sense of
common citizenship, and loyalty to the nation.” 11

Fred M. Hayward explains “integration as system cohesion,

adaptation to structures, a bridging of elite-mass gap, the
establishment of common norms and commitment to pattern of
political behavior.” 12

8
Faiza Mir & Dr. Abdul Manan Bazai, “Challenges to National Integration: A Case
Study of Baluchistan,” Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. IV, no.1 (Summer 2015),
81-84, 82-83.
9
Gulshan Majeed, “Problems of National Integration in Pakistan,” Journal of Political
Studies, Vol. 21, no. 2 (2014), 69.
10
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, “Issues of
National Integration in Pakistan with Reference to Balochistan,” 206.
11
Faiza Mir & Abdul Manan Bazai, 81.
12
Gulshan Majeed, “Problems of National Integration in Pakistan,” 70.
38
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

S.N. Panda explains national integration as a “psychological

phenomenon, a feeling of oneness that raises above all narrow and
divisive tendencies and makes for genuine patriotism and progress.” 13

National integration is mainly a sentiment, in which “the

community of any state assumes peaceful living with one another,
having the feelings of togetherness, unity, compassion, without any
discrimination of race, ethnicity, regional boundaries, etc…. No matter,
a nation bears any caste, belief, region, or lingual issues, they consider
themselves that ‘They Are All One.’ This kind of spirit is indispensable
to national integration.” 14

Factors influencing national integration involve social values,

culture, language, interfaith harmony, religion, and ethnicity.
Therefore, collaboration, cooperation, fusion, and development among
these elements on the principles of inclusive approach, shared future,
and win-win situation are the core to the process of national
integration. As a result, the exchange of ideas, history, social customs,
knowledge, art, languages, goods, and cultural beliefs increase people-
to-people interaction and trust. Thus, “national integration is about
national spirit, which brings peoples from different areas, dialects and
beliefs together in a common endeavour to build systems for
enhancing the prosperity of a nation” 15 with the aim of creating
allegiance towards a state.

Culture is generally defined as a way of life of every specific group

of people based on their beliefs and customs. In the multi-cultural
societies, national integration is considered as a tool to create unity in
diversity by minimizing cultural differences even in a complex societies
and forging uniformity in the nation. National language also unites the
13
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, 204.
14
Ibid.
15
M. Kumar & N. Rekha, Historical And Political Economy Of Education In India
(Chhattisgarh: Sankalp Publication, 2020), 340.
39
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

nation by promoting national consciousness in the multilingual

country. Likewise, interfaith harmony, dialogue, respect to religious
freedom, and mutual acceptance have the potential to assimilate in
promoting the national solidarity and integration.

Impediments to National Integration for Pakistan

The foundation of Pakistan was laid down on the Quaid-i-Azam’s vision

of separate democratic homeland for Muslims in which the state would
be governed on principles of “Islamic ideas of social justice and
equality.” 16 The theory of the founding father perceived the Muslims of
sub-continent as a separate nation opposite to the Hindu nation in the
form of “Two-nation theory.” 17 In fact, the empirical evidences of
Muslims of sub-continent show that they were divided on the lines of
Aligarh and Deobandi traditions; pro-Indian National Congress political
ideology of territorial nationalism; pro-Muslim League’s political
ideology of distant Muslim identity; and religious parties’ opposition
for separate Muslim state in order to preserve the Muslim Ummah. 18

Pakistan started its early life journey with internal and external
complexities that demanded hard struggle for country’s survival and
political consolidation. Ultimately, the process of nation-building has
been complicated and even become a more difficult task by the
evolving events and unfavourable political landscape of Pakistan. For
instance, the period from 1947 till 1971 was stressful and unstable for
the federal integration. With the early death of Quaid-i-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the infant state witnessed administrative and

16
Jehan Zeb Khan & Abdul Rashid Khan, “Quaid’s Vision of a Progressive Pakistan,”
Pakistan Journal of History and Culture, Vol. XXXII, no.1 (2011), 166.
17
Abdul Majid, Abdul Hamid & Zahida Habib, “Genesis of the Two Nations Theory and
the Quaid-e-Azam,” Journal of Pakistan Vision, Vol. 15, no.1 (2014), 192.
18
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, “Challenges and Policy Options To
National Integration in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis,” 7.
40
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

governance challenges; economic and political instabilities pushing the

military to power; the emerging sub-nationalist tendencies sponsored
by hostile agencies; and the Indian animosity of “1948, 65 and
dismemberment of 1971” 19 made integration a difficult process,
creating many hurdles, which later on dragged the country into identity
crisis. 20

In that era, the futile debate on ideological identity of the nation

“as an Islamic state, moderate state, socialist state has also been the
contributory factors affecting the state efforts for the national
integration.” 21 The ideological divide pushed Pakistan into an endless
discourse of constructing the state identity on the bases of “Quaid-i-
Azam’s vision; socialism during 1970s; Islamization during 1980; and
enlightened moderation even after 73 years of the country’s
existence.” 22 Hence, Pakistan inherited ideological cleavages for
developing state identity, along with “multi-ethnic, linguistic and
cultural groups and sub-groups, which had little in common besides
Muslim.” 23

Ultimately, the political leadership and policymakers of Pakistan

have been involved in the matter of integration that has “become very

19
Syed Sikander Mehdi, “Pakistan: Conflict, Migration and Peace,” Asteriskos: Journal
of International and Peace Studies, no. 1/2 (2007),4.
20
Alongside, the regional geopolitical implications illustrated by the repercussions of
the “USSR invasion in Afghanistan (1979),” and the “Iranian revolution (1979)” caused
the deepening of Saudi-Iran rivalries while using Pakistani land for their sectarian
proxy war, which led to the rise of religious intolerance. Amidst this environment, the
biased US policies have further complicated the national integration process in
Pakistan. For this see: Alan Taylor, “The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 1979 – 1989,” The
Atlantic, August 4, 2014.
21
Syed Jawad Shah & Waseem Ishaque, “Challenges of National Integration in
Pakistan and Strategic Response,” 36.
22
Ibid., 41.
23
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, 4.
41
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

sensitive and heatedly discussed” 24 in the political landscape of the

country, and in case of failure, this issue has a potential to make
society intolerant. The oscillatory circumstances have forced political
leadership and policymakers to divert their attention from the core
areas that could ensure socio-economic prosperity and development
for nation-building. Therefore, they have been unable to implement
people-friendly policies, which might have fully satisfied the oppressed
class, in general, and marginalized sub-nationalities, ethnicities and
small provinces. The inability of political leadership and policymakers
for delivering basic services to the people has provided a space to the
disintegrated multitudes to exploit the situation to their favour, further
creating instability in the country.

In reality, the successive regimes had been unsuccessful to offer

due share to the citizenries in policy-making process at grass-root level.
They were unable to initiate effective people-centric policies that could
address the real grievances of various ethnicities at the social, political,
and economic levels, specifically of the communities of East Pakistan,
Balochistan, tribal areas, and Sindh to some extent. Eventually, the
dismemberment of East Pakistan in 1971, the number of “insurgencies
in Balochistan,” 25 and the demands for “Pushtunistan, as well as Sindhu
Desh,” 26 are the cases in points.

As of today, the political leadership of Pakistan still faces the

challenges of creating “a national identity out of the diverse regional,

24
Syed Jawad Shah & Waseem Ishaque, 41.
25
Muhammad Muzaffar, Sidra Karamat& Khalid Saeed, “Balochistan Insurgency:
Causes and Prospects,” Orient Research Journal of Social Sciences, Vol.3, no. 1 (June
2018), 117.
26
Aamir Nazir, “Ethnic Militancy in Pakistan: Causes, Consequences and Remedies,”
(paper presented at the two-day international conference on "Terrorism, Extremism
and Militancy in Pakistan: Domestic & International Factors, Multan, Pakistan,
January 17-18, 2017).
42
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

linguistic and cultural identities.” 27 The hurdles to national integrity are

not specifically internal to Pakistan, as they also originate by the
unfavorable circumstances and environment engineered by the
external elements to aggravate the situation, thereby perpetuating
economic disparities, ethno-religious extremism, political instability
and sub-national tendencies at the domestic front. The victimization of
Pakistan by the external hostile states has added complications to the
phenomena of national integration.

Leadership Dilemma

Behavior and psychology of the leadership play an important role to

promote awareness of oneness among disjointed sections of society.
The leadership’s charisma, sagacity, and deeper insight about peoples’
feelings or emotions, play a constructive role in minimizing the socio-
cultural, and politico-economic identity rifts to implement the national
order. However, after the death of Quaid-i-Azam, the leadership of
Pakistan has been making efforts to transform the centrifugal
tendencies of marginalized ethnic groups into centripetal feelings.
Even, influential leaders like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lost his charisma after
the debacle of East Pakistan and had been unable to transform the
parochial feelings of the people of East Pakistan, Balochistan, and
former North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) recently named as
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by diluting the separatist sentiments with
national loyalty.

Although 18th Amendment was passed in 2010 28 for giving

maximum autonomy to the provinces, yet the leadership of Pakistan

27
Faiza Mir & Abdul Manan Bazai, “Challenges To National Integration: A Case Study
of Baluchistan,” 82.
28
Mahboob Hussain and Rizwan Kokab, “Eighteenth Amendment in the Constitution
of Pakistan: Success and Controversies,” Asian Social Science, Vol. 8, no. 1 (January
2012), 83.
43
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

seems reluctant to devolve further power at grass-root level. This fact

hindered individuals’ direct participation in the decision-making
process, depriving them of the sense of ownership. Ultimately, the
socio-economic and development policies formulated for the wellbeing
of masses could not get general recognition. Instead of promoting the
sense of oneness among the diverse ethno-cultural identities, the ill-
perceived policies caused dissatisfaction among the public.

The fact of the matter is, different ethno-cultural identities are

considered the beauty of pluralist state, which ideally contribute
constructively to the progress of the country, ensuring socio-economic
and political rights. If these basic rights of diverse identities are at risk,
denying them access to social safety net, the marginalized communities
can easily be derailed from their constructive role to destructive one. It
may lead to instability or disintegration in an extreme case as evident
in the “Bengali ethnic identity crises of Pakistan.” 29 In the present-day
Pakistan, the instability is factored out by the insecurity of Baloch
dissatisfied groups —the ongoing low intensity ethnic insurgency in the
province 30—and the demands for social justice and human rights in the
garb of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(KP). 31 The onus is on the political leadership to pacify the alienated
ethnic groups by seeking national identity out of the various provincial

29
Muhammad Qasim Sodhar & Samreen, “Ethnic Conflicts: The Problems of Bengali
Identity in Pakistan and Tribal Identity Problem in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
(1947-1975),” International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, Vol. 7, no. 4 (April
2017), 51.
30
Abubakar Siddique, “Balochistan’s Separatist Insurgency on The Wane Despite
Recent Attack,” Gandhara, April 18, 2019,Available at:
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/pakistan-balochistan-separatist-insurgency-on-the-
wane-despite-recent-attack/29889887.html (accessed on 22 March 2021).
31
Francesca Marino, “Manzoor Pashteen Arrested: ‘They Can Kill Me But Not the
Movement’,” The Quint, January 28, 2020, Available at:
https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/pashtun-tahafuz-movement-manzoor-
pashteen-arrest-pakistani-state-army-human-rights (accessed on 22 March 2021).

44
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

identities, thus giving the sense of ownership unified by national loyalty

in the backdrop of internal and external challenges.

Bad Governance and Social-economic Integration

Good governance is a prerequisite to “strengthening the process of

national integration by providing equal development, ensuring equal
rights and services’ delivery for all communities, regions and the
federating units.” 32 It helps to incite a strong sense of national identity
and national pride in the society. It also supports formulating effective
policies centered around the concepts of “sharing, entrustment and
allocation of national resources to the provinces” 33 to create a sense of
satisfaction among all regional sub-systems. In return, the communities
get encouraged to participate progressively as a medium to enhance
the process of national integration.

Contrarily, bad governance is the root cause to all inefficiencies:

social injustice; economic inequality; regional disparity;
unemployment; unaccountability; delayed justice; misuse of power;
corruption; nepotism; uneven infrastructure and industrial
development; unequal distribution of natural resources along with the
demands for royalty; inefficiency of institutions; and dissatisfaction
among the general public. Rather, the “uneven division of resources
either natural or other and favouritism in political and administrative
manners of central and provincial governments always destroy the
state.” 34

32
Syed Jawad Shah & Waseem Ishaque, “Challenges of National Integration in
Pakistan and Strategic Response,” 35.
33
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, “Challenges and Policy Options To
National Integration in Pakistan A Comparative Analysis,” 2.
34
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, “Issues of
National Integration in Pakistan with Reference to Balochistan,” 211.
45
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

The lax governance has generated economic backwardness in Pakistan,

giving rise to social ills fueled by massive poverty, and crime, spreading
frustration, and demoralization in the underprivileged regions
especially the South Punjab, interior Sindh, Balochistan and tribal areas
of Pakistan, where sentiments of marginalization have triggered
militancy casting serious consequences on national integration.

The ill-disciplined governance in the country has made space for

both the religious fanatics, and the sub-nationalists fulfilling their
nefarious designs with the foreign backing and funding. Eventually, the
religio-ethnic schism based on provincialism has become a breeding
ground for discontentment, and deprivation, eroding the national
harmony, integration, and prosperity.

A weak system of governance has been incapable of maintaining

consistent “policies in the best interests of various cultural pluralities of
the country.” 35 Despite passing the bill of Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA) merger with KP 36 to integrate the underprivileged tribal
areas into the mainstream socio-economic landscape, the people of
the region are still facing “unsteady development” 37– an illustration of
bad governance. “The administrative, security, and economic reforms
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts are being implemented at a
snail’s pace.” 38 For instance, “the process of inclusion of an estimated

35
Gulshan Majeed, “Problems of National Integration in Pakistan,” 68.
36
Amir Wasim, “National Assembly green-lights Fata-KP merger by passing 'historic'
bill,” Dawn, May 25, 2018.
37
Wajeeha Malik & Shakeeb Asrar, “Post-merger Inaction in FATA: Expectations vs.
Reality (Blog),” South Asian Voices, July 10, 2019, Available at:
https://southasianvoices.org/post-merger-inaction-in-fata-expectations-vs-reality/.
(accessed on 24 March 2021).
38
Abubakar Siddique, “Pakistan’s Tribal Areas Caught In Limbo Awaiting Integration,”
Gandhara, January 16, 2020, Available at: https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/pakistan-
tribal-areas-caught-in-limbo-awaiting-integration/30381219.html (accessed on 24
March 2021).
46
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

30,000 local Levies and Khasadars into the regular police force is
moving slowly … The new tribal police lack training and infrastructure
to undertake policing, which is still performed by the army and
paramilitary troops in large parts of tribal districts.” 39

Although, the federal government pledged in “2018 to spend

around US $10 billion on development schemes over a decade,
approximately 10 per cent of the US $540 million were reserved for the
tribal districts’ development during the fiscal year 2019-20.” 40 That
kind of performance is causing frustration among the tribal people,
providing grounds to justify the demands of anti-nationalist elements
such as PTM in the name of social justice, which already have
unfriendly sentiments towards the civil and military establishment.

The situation for Balochistan is no different than that of tribal

districts. The decision of increasing the Balochistan’s job quota from
3.5 to 6 per cent in federal departments was initially taken in 2016.41
However, till June 2020, no progress was seen until the Prime Minister
Imran Khan took notice of the matter during his meeting with Akhtar
Mengal on June 28, 2020 and ordered all federal departments for the
implementation of 6 per cent job quota reserved for the province.42
Besides, “the short term projects of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) in Balochistan (2014-2020) such as “Khuzdar-Basima N-30, up-
gradation of D. I. Khan-Zhob Highway N50, up-gradation of Quetta-
Surab Highway N25, and completion of existing roads projects that
were supposed to be completed by 2020, have seen little to no

39
Ibid.
40
Ibid.
41
“Balochistan’s Quota in Federal Jobs Increased,” Dawn, January 23, 2016.
42
“PM orders implementation of 6pc job quota for Balochistan to woo BNP-M,”
Pakistan Today, June 28, 2020.
47
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

progress.” 43 The indifferent behavior of civil administration for delaying

to implement the federal government’s decisions and projects may
instigate the marginalized ethnic groups in future to start resistance
against unsteady developmental polices of federal government. Rather,
it encourages “rebellious activities against the state and would be a
major risk in the way of national integration.” 44

Some efforts have been made to address the socio-economic and

political grievances of the alienated regions of Pakistan in the form of
National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, 18th Amendment, Pervez
Musharraf development plan for Balochistan, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-
Balochistan, National Action Plan, CPEC project and FATA merger with
KP. These measures are considered positive steps to meet the
demands of the provincial governments of Pakistan for attaining more
political power, ensuring larger share in national funds, developing
basic infrastructure, and warranting basic services for raising the living
standards of the people.

However, these measures are unable to produce the desired results

and bring clear trickle-down effects on the livelihood of the locals,
owing to the weak administrative ability, capacity issues and poor
planning of the provinces, in particular, and federal government, in
general. That is why; the remote areas of each province of Pakistan
along with the tribal belt do not have the provision of proper facilities
of health, education, and economic opportunities at par with the
bigger provinces and their metropolitan hubs.

43
Rafiullah Kakar, “Review of CPEC: Impact on Balochistan,” (paper presented at
Islamabad Policy Research Institute Webinar on Security and Development of
Balochistan: Existing Dynamics and Way Ahead, Islamabad, Pakistan, June 25, 2016).
44
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, “Issues of
National Integration in Pakistan with Reference to Balochistan,”205.
48
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

The statistics of government of Pakistan show that “24 per cent of

Pakistan’s population (31 per cent in rural and 13 per cent in urban
areas) lives below the poverty line. The multi-dimensional poverty
index (MPI) of the country is 38.8 per cent, which includes 54.6 per
cent in rural and 9.4 per cent in urban areas.45 Amongst them, the
tribal districts have the highest levels of MPI followed by the
Balochistan.

Consequently, people have started blaming the federal government

for lacking objectivity in policy measures at the national level, as is
evident in the case of Gwadar port that is seen as the lynchpin of CPEC
for socio-economic uplift. However, “the state of connectivity of
Gwadar with the rest of Pakistan is so poor that it raises questions
about the planning as a whole.” 46 The objectivity concerns are
sufficient to generate rifts between the dissatisfied section of public
and federal government.

With the growing mistrust, the dilemma has been that any
development project of the federal government in small provinces,
starts attracting jaundiced eyes. For instance, the security situation in
Balochistan started deteriorating when the federal government took
the initiatives of Gwadar Port, coastal highway, road and rail links,
which was opposed by the Baloch nationalists’ propagation that it
would change Balochi ethnic culture and demography.

Instead of welcoming these projects, the Baloch dissidents

responded with fear that they would be “dispossessed of their own

45
“Balochistan Drought Needs Assessment (BDNA) Report, February 2019,” Relief
Web, accessed August 24, 2020, Available at:
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/balochistan_drought_needs_
assessment.pdf (accessed on 28 March 2021).
46
Rafiullah Kakar, Ibid.
49
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

lands and resources,” 47 while turning into minority by the

overwhelming inflow of Sindhis, Punjabis and other ethnic identities.
Likewise, in the case of CPEC, the actual allocation of only US $4 billion
to Balochistan out of the potential aggregate of US $50 billion 48 CPEC
investment is being exploited by the Baloch dissidents that the
province has a “meagre share and participation in the construction of
mega projects.” 49 Baloch dissidents are also misleading the local
communities making them to believe that federal government
allocates only scanty share of the NFC Award to Balochistan. Contrarily,
the province has seen an increase in its budget in 7th NFC Award from 5
per cent share to 9 per cent. 50 Rather, the 7th NFC Award recognized
the factor of inverse population density, poverty, poor revenue
collection, and the area as the variables for distribution of funds. 51

Alongside, misperceptions are being aired that the federal

government is mainly focusing on physical security, and not the human
security (health, education, and employment generation) in
Balochistan, resulting in either alleged killings or forced disappearances
of the innocent Baloch by the security forces on the pretexts of peace
and stability.” 52 Whereas, the government of Pakistan claims that these

47
Muhammad Zubair, “Balochistan Deserves Justice In Chinese Projects,” Gandhara,
January 14, 2019, Available at: https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/pakistan-balochistan-
deserves-justice-in-chinese-projects-cpec/29708813.html (accessed on 24 March
2021).
48
Rafiullah Kakar, Ibid.
49
Muhammad Zubair, Ibid.
50
Muhammad Sabir, “Financial Implications of the 7th NFC Award and the Impact on
Social Services,” The Pakistan Development Review, Vol. 49, no. 4 (Winter 2010): 387-
403. Also see; Imran Ali Kundi, “Rs3254.6b for provinces under NFC Award,” Nation,
June 12, 2019.
51
Usman Mustafa, “Fiscal Federalism in Pakistan: The 7th National Finance
Commission Award and Its Implications,” PIDE Working Papers, no. 73 (2011), 7. Also
see; Junaid Shaikh, “NFC Award: limitations of provinces,” Dawn, April 29, 2011.
52
Kamal Baloch, “Its Time the World Knows about Missing People of Balochistan,”
News Intervention, Available at: https://www.newsintervention.com/its-time-the-
world-knows-about-missing-people-of-balochistan/ (accessed on 29 March 2021).
50
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

missing people have fled to “Afghanistan or other places of the

world.” 53

Indeed, the misperceptions and fears incite the Baloch ethnicity to

resort to force in pressing their rights and representation in the central
government. Majority of the Balochi folks fall easy prey to aggressive
lobbying of the dissidents, making the provincial masses to believe that
they are being discriminated in terms of their deprivation. Ultimately,
thegeneral sentiments of scepticism and unsteady development
prevalent in the marginalized community of the country tend to
hamper the goal of national integration.

Ethno-Cultural Diversity

Cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversities are natural phenomena,

recognized as important determinants of integration to enrich and
promote the national heritage. Ethnic diversity forms the national
identity with the common interest of nation-building, which is
perceived as the key characteristic of ethnic outlook of Pakistani
society. 54 “Cultural integration indicates common national culture by
which people identify themselves. It does not overlook cultural
diversity, nor does it overstate a monolithic society. There are sub-
cultures within the sphere of a common culture in a pluralistic society.

53
“The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has 2178 cases
unresolved till 2019. For this see; “Pakistan: Enduring Enforced Disappearances,”
Amnesty International, March 27, 2019, Available at:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2019/03/pakistan-enduring-enforced-
disappearances/ (accessed on 29 March 2021).
54
“Demographically, the Punjabis embody the largest population of 109.99 million
(52.96 percent), Sindh 47.85 million (23.04pc), KP 30.51 million (14.69pc), Balochistan
12.34 million (5.94pc), Fata 4.99 million (2.4pc) and ICT 2 million (0.96pc). Punjabi is
number one language spoken by the majority (38.78pc) of Pakistanis, followed by
Pashto 18.24pc, Sindhi 14.57pc, Urdu 7.08pc and Balochi 3.02pc.”
51
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

When the numerous sub-cultures get intermixed with their distinct

identities, they form one common integral culture.” 55
Ethnic and cultural diversities have the potential to play a central role
in making common community. They are equally pivotal to assessing
the ethnicity that to what extent it has an inbuilt paradox of conflictual
and consensual characters. It is described as a cognitive act
constructed on identity or loyalty, aimed at furthering the interests of
specific group and region. Therefore, ethno-cultural and linguistic
divide in Pakistan is prone to suffer owing to the tendency of
unwillingness of interest groups to accept the cultural and linguistic
diversity. 56

The result is seen in the tug of power among various political

parties at the provincial and federal levels dominated by the conflicting
ethnicity, causing unease of relations between the center and
provinces - the key concerns for national integration. The cleavage may
disintegrate the nation by spiraling the feelings of marginalization and
alienation, as evident in the case of East Pakistan dismemberment in
1971, wherein the few initial riots got massively triggered on charges of
ethno-lingual marginalization, leading to the violent conflicts costing
the national integrity. It is observed that the social fabric of Pakistan is
also fragmented around biradari and caste structures that are much
cherished as a main source of identity, and recognition, specifically in
remote areas of the country, thereby eclipsing the importance of
nationhood.

Though, the provincial or regional identity is essential to solid

nationhood. Yet, using regional identity as a political card for vested

55
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, 15.
56
Zaheer Ud Din Qureshi, “Role of Interest Groups in Public Policy Formulation,”
Hamari Web, Available at: https://hamariweb.com/articles/31713 (accessed on 29
March 2021).
52
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

interests poses challenge to national integration as evident in the

activism of PTM 57and in the slogans of separatism raised by the Baloch
insurgents like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). 58 All these
elements are sponsored by the hostile states with the aim to
destabilize the country.59 Pakistan has repeatedly raised its voice
against the support extended by many foreign countries and their
hostile intelligence agencies to their sleeper cells to conduct subversive
acts, equally lending patronage to the terrorist elements to sabotage
the national integration process.

The insurgents of Balochistan no way represent the general

aspirations of the Balochistan society, but they are trying hard to harm
soft targets of innocent non-Balochis and government installations by
their low-intensity periodic attacks for which they get regular support
from external players like India immersed in its hegemonic aim of
destabilizing Pakistan.

In order to integrate Balochistan with the federation, there is a dire

need of preserving the ethno-cultural-linguistic identities and removing
the socio-economic inequalities. As discussed above, the successive
governments have undoubtedly launched various development
programmes, including the “Political Reconciliation process” 60 to give
complete ownership to the people of Balochistan. However, these

57
Francesca Marino, “Manzoor Pashteen,” Ibid.
58
Srijan Shukla, “Who are Baloch Liberation Army? Insurgents who killed 30 in
Pakistan in last one week,” The Print, February 20, 2020, Available at:
https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/who-are-baloch-liberation-army-insurgents-
who-killed-30-in-pakistan-in-last-one-week/368398/ (accessed on 3 April 2021).
59
“PTM Funding: The Role of RAW-NDS, Wealthy FATA Diaspora in the Gulf & Hostile
Agencies,” Global Village Space, April 30, 2019, Available at:
https://www.globalvillagespace.com/ptm-funding-the-role-of-raw-nds-wealthy-fata-
diaspora-in-the-gulf-hostile-agencies/ (accessed on 3 April 2021).
60
“Balochistan reconciliation: 625 insurgents surrendered in six months,” Express
Tribune, February 8, 2016.
53
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

initiatives remain unable to curb the assumed fears of sub-nationalist

groups that such programmes are only going to offer development
opportunities to non-Baloch ethnicities like Punjabis and Sindhis; the
issues of the Baloch ethnic groups of the province would remain
unaddressed.

Unacceptance of central government’s socio-economic and political

initiatives by ethnic insurgents is bound to damage the cause of
national integration. Whereas the concept of national integration for
Pakistan is meant to create 3Cs: i) “common citizenry, ii) common
political and social structures, and iii) a common state” 61 for building a
common community with the aim to establish a sense of identity and
mutual belonging without disturbing the existing diversities of
linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographical strata. “It does not mean
to substitute an artificial new identity for the old ones.” 62

Sub-nationalist Politics and National Integration

Muslim nationalism of sub-continent played a crucial role in the

Pakistan movement. Later, its role to preserve the integrity of newly
independent state had been gradually undermined due to its inability
of agreeably resolving the issues of language, provincial status and
division of natural resources among the stakeholders of diverse cultural
backgrounds. The never-ending delays in solving these issues provided
conducive environment for solidifying the sentiments of sub-
nationalism in Pakistan.

With the passage of time, perceived marginalization of provinces

and deprivation of nationalities set a stage for launching sub-
nationalist movements, which “provided an opportunity to the leaders
61
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, “Challenges and Policy Options to
National Integration in Pakistan A Comparative Analysis,” 4.
62
Ibid.
54
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

of sub-national groups such as Jeay Sindh Mahaz, All Pakistan

Muttahidda Students Organization now called Muhajir / Muttahida
Qaumi Movement (MQM), and “National Awami Party (NAP)” 63 to start
gripping the political landscape of the regional politics, while creating
and exploiting controversy on the issues like Kalabagh dam.

Even today, the nationalist leaders of the small provinces such as

Shafi Muhammad Burfat, Chairman, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz64
Ayaz Latif Palijo, President, Qomi Awami Tahreek, 65 and Manzoor
Ahmad Pashteen, Chairman, PTM 66 are inciting the sentiments of
regionalism on the self-professed exploitation, alienation, and
deprivation of their ethno-lingual identity. These sentiments may dent
the process of national integrity by the acts of vandalism and brutality,
thus threatening the national social fabric.

The civil and military leadership in Pakistan are continuously

making efforts to merge the narrow feelings of provincialism into the
coherent national identity. Power corridors in Islamabad are well
aware that the coercive means could not produce fruitful results for
attaining the goal of national unity, as it is a commonly observed
practice that “different ethnic factions begin to attach more
importance to their core ethnicity than the national identity.” 67

63
Nadeem F. Paracha, “The first left,” Dawn, November 9, 2014.
64
“Pakistan is afraid of political voice of Sindhi and Baloch: Shafi Burfat,” ANI,
November 8, 2017, Available at: https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/pakistan-
is-afraid-of-political-voice-of-sindhi-and-baloch-shafi-burfat201711081913310003/
(accessed on 7 April 2021).
65
“Ayaz Palijo says he is being punished for talking against ‘anti-Sindh projects’,”
News International, October 4, 2016.
66
Francesca Marino, “Manzoor Pashteen Arrested: ‘They Can Kill Me But Not the
Movement’,” Ibid.
67
Gulshan Majeed, “Problems of National Integration in Pakistan,” 68.
55
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Searching National Unity under Federalism

Federal form of government is considered an effective tool to crystalize

the national integration process by separation of power between the
federal government and the federating units. In this form of
government, constitution guarantees protection of the rights of
federating units and their ethnic strata. The federal form of
government enables the diverse ethnicities to freely flourish their
cultural uniqueness and integrate their belonging into the mainstream
political system, which is indispensable for the process of national
security and integration.

Observing the off-and-on engagement of the previous federal

governments with the federating units, it seems that the present
central government also feels the need to highlight the importance of
belongingness and oneness of the federation to its federating units.
There might be a realization in the federal government that any
exclusive policy or indifferent attitude on its part may undermine the
autonomies of the small provinces. Contrarily, only the inclusive polices
guarantee constructive role of the federating units under the 1973
Constitution of Pakistan.

In this context, essence of the 18th Constitutional Amendment is to

ensure smooth functioning of the country’s affairs in an organized way.
The rationale behind the amendment was the separation of power
feature to strengthen the federal system by boosting its national
security and integration. Obviously, the 18th Constitutional Amendment
empowers the provinces to formulate polices in areas of socio-
economic, educational, and health sectors, besides making local body
laws. Now, the provinces are responsible for allocating the resources to
development projects and implementing those for socio-economic
uplift of their marginalized communities.
56
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

However, the poor performance and administrative incapability of the

provincial governments have been the reason for their incompetence
in delivering the basic services to their people, which is now pushing
the federal government to think about revisiting the 18thAmendment
for overcoming the irritants. But this idea has raised the eyebrows of
national, religious, and sub-nationalist political parties of Pakistan,
including the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Pashtunkhwa Milli
Awami Party and Balochistan National Party. These political parties
consider themselves the architect of 18th Amendment that ensures
provincial autonomy in true sense. In their view, any attempt to
reverse the 18th Amendment by the PTI government would be an
attack on provincial autonomy, to the extent that they have grown
sceptic about the commitment of the central government to national
integration.

The lags in development are not necessarily the fault of 18th

Amendment, but more so, the fault of the entire political system,
which requires innovative reforms. 68 Basically, the political setting in
Pakistan is still relying on the legacy of dynastic politics, with its two
major national political parties: PML-N and PPP (apart from PTI).
Despite their slogans of indiscriminately representing and serving the
entire Pakistan, these two political entities have largely been relying on
Punjab and Sindh provinces as their vote-bank. Interestingly, the
results of 2008, 2013 and 2018 general elections show that the role,
behavioral pattern, political priorities, and interests of these national
political parties have become limited rather transformed, focusing
more on regional than national politics.

68 th
Nadeemul Haque, “Post 18 Amendment Fiscal Space Issues Face by Federal
Government and Possible Solutions,” (paper presented at the Islamabad Policy
th
Research Institute Webinar on 18 Amendment: Impact on Governance in Pakistan,
Islamabad, Pakistan, July 21, 2020).
57
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Therefore, the mainstream political parties try to contest elections

based on ethnicity (PPP, PML-N and ANP motivate the voters in their
favor on the basis of Sindhi, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities
respectively), while the religio-ethnic political space has been shrunken
to rural areas of Sindh, KP, and Balochistan. Hence, they maneuver to
keep religio-ethnic differences alive to secure their political supremacy
and relevance among the public, which is damaging the very cause of
national integration.

In fact, the entire political structure of Pakistan evolved in a

manner that a small ruling elite has remained dominated on the main
landscape of the federal politics. They comprise the Punjabi rural,
Sindhi feudal, Baloch Sardars, tribal Maliks and Khans, small group of
Mohajirs, sub-nationalist leadership, industrialists and top civilian and
military bureaucracy. In contrast to the Punjabi elite, the Sindhi,
Balochi, and tribal elite tend to consider themselves excluded from the
nation-building process on ethnic lines, and not on political grounds.
Politically, they hold even more exclusive position in the peripheral
landscape of regional politics. Such characteristics of regional polity,
along with, dynastic politics have deepened polarization in the political
milieu of federal politics on the bases of caste and creed system
affiliated to narrow ends of ethno-cultural politics.

The scholars argue that political hegemony of the few “is confined
to exercise the instruments of state power and serve its vested
interests.” 69 Dominance of the aristocrats over national political system
does not represent will of the masses, who feel excluded from the
decision-making process. Concentration of power in few hands rather
weakens the institutions, compelling the military to intervene, and
introduce its own style of democratic system, while the judicial

69
Jehanzeb, Saima Perveen & Fayaz Ur Rehman, “Challenges and Policy Options to
National Integration in Pakistan A Comparative Analysis,” 16.
58
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

intervention takes the form of Suo moto apparently to correct the

executive and legislative measures.

Tug of power among the political aristocracy for preserving their

legacy has further weakened the federation, rendering the social
structure ineffective. Pakistan is, therefore, still struggling to seek
societal integration at federal level of its diverse society fragmented on
ethno-cultural, and sectarian lines. In this context, “the role of federal
body as facilitator is essential to enhance the development of national
integration in the country.” 70

The responsibility of the central government is to provide guideline

to provincial governments for conducting their affairs in an organized but
mutually coherent manner. 71 The federal entity also listens to the political
voices of the small provinces, with the aim of creating harmony on
constitutional issues. It is necessary for the federal government to learn
lesson from the bitter realities of the past of not listening to the demands
of small provinces and not taking into confidence the small federating
units on matters of constitutional amendments.

A smooth, cordial, and balanced relations between central and

provincial governments are the pre-requisites to meaningful national
integration. Otherwise, marginalization, alienation, disagreement with
federal government, dissatisfaction, and insecurity among the small
provinces will flourish centrifugal forces, causing national security
issues like “separatist tendencies, anarchy, internal turmoil,
subversion, ethnic issues, and violent struggles for power.” 72

70
Shamila Tabassum, Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti, “Issues of
National Integration in Pakistan with Reference to Balochistan,” 204.
71
Gulshan Majeed, “Problems of National Integration in Pakistan,”75.
72
Faiza Mir & Abdul Manan Bazai, “Challenges to National Integration: A Case Study
of Baluchistan,” 84.
59
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Sectarianism, Extremism, Ideological Identity and Modernity

Confusion

The Quran forbids exaggerating religious matters (religious extremism)

and ordains just and balance (middle path) between the extremes.
Islam celebrates “Ikhtilaf” 73 (diversity). It defines the boundaries of
religion to avoid overstepping and to prevent schism. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said that “Ikhtilaf” is a blessing. According to a
saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), “diversity among the
Muslims is a blessing (Ikhtilafu um matirahma).” 74

However, in the intellectual history of Islam, diversity, space, and

freedom of opinion have led to difference of opinions among the
religious scholars, which has tended to dent the unity of the Muslim
Ummah. However, various Muslim thinkers and jurists had been trying
to prevent this schism by suggesting “Ijma” and “Ijtihad” (consensus
and collective wisdom). 75

Islamic Jurisprudence did not develop as state law. It is called Fiqh 76

and its concept and ideology are Shari’a. Muslim jurists started
developing Fiqh and jurist opinion. These jurists worked independently
from the state, but there was cooperation between the state and the
jurists. The Islamic Jurisprudence developed as a jurist’s law. These
laws were not legislated by the caliph or the king. However, these laws
were implemented in certain matters by the Muslim state.

73
Muhammad K Masud, “Ikhtilaf al-Fuqaha: Diversity in Fiqh as a Social
Construction,” WANTED (2009), 65, Available at:
http://arabic.musawah.org/sites/default/files/Wanted-MKM-EN.pdf (accessed on 20
April 2021).
74
Ibid.
75
Sajila Kausar, “Collective Ijtihad: History and Current Perspective,” International
Journal of Humanities & Social Science Studies vol. III, no. V (March 2017): 151-163.
76
Prawitra Thalib, “Distinction of Characteristics Sharia and Fiqh on Islamic Law,”
Yuridika, Vol. 33, no. 3, (September 2018), 438.
60
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

The major religious divisions in Pakistani society are based on Islamic

laws such as “Hanfi,” “Shafi’I,” and “Jafari.” 77 The founders of Islamic
laws always explained that they had differences on the interpretation
of Islamic laws for which all of them are right. 78 The division in Islamic
laws is not “Firqa”. Fiqh has become “Firqa (Sect)” in Pakistan where
“Hanfi”, “Shafi’i”, “Jafari”, and “Ahl al-hadith” schools of thought tend
to opt sectarian lines. In this regard, sectarianism has been promoted
and supported in religious ways without realizing its severe
implications for the Pakistani society.

Religious extremism in Pakistan has made it difficult for general

scholars to analyse it, oppose it, or talk about it for the fear lash back
from the extremist sympathisers in the country. This sympathy is based
on nationalistic spirit and religious affiliation on strong sectarian lines.
Resultantly, an ambiguous attitude towards religious extremism is
observed. It is difficult to separate religious extremism from the normal
faith and belief. It is equally difficult to differentiate between violent
extremism and sectarianism.

The term extremism has been in use, but it got more significance in
the post Afghan war in 1979. The reason is that extremism means an
ideology for achieving the extremist objectives (power, dominance,
etc.). When extremism is coupled with politics and political goals,
power and authority, it becomes an ideology, which abhors dissent,
differentiation and difference of opinion. But more importantly, when
the ideology establishes link with power and dominance, its aim is no
longer for individual and social improvements rather its goal is to get
power to dominate others.

77
Jawad Syed & Edwina Pio, “Unsophisticated and naive? Fragmenting monolithic
understandings of Islam,” Journal of Management & Organization, Vol. 24, Special
issue 5 (September 2018), 599.
78
Muhammad K Masud, “Ikhtilaf al-Fuqaha: Diversity in Fiqh as a Social
Construction,” WANTED (2009), 65.
61
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

The sectarian Islam is “Firqa Najiya” 79 that also means to believe in

“Taqlid” 80 which, in turn, means following one of the schools or groups
in Islam. The term political Islam is used for those interpretations that
called for an Islamic state. Foremost among them is Sayyid Abu’l A’la
Mawdudi, who influenced other Muslim countries.81 According to
Mawdudi, Iqtidar (power) belongs to God and He is powerful and
Hakim. This sovereignty of God becomes a basic concept of political
Islam. Mawdudi believes that the concept of God makes obligatory for
the Muslims to reject all those political systems which he termed
“Taghut.” 82 He describes that Din requires state and a political power
as without these, religion would not be established. 83

The sectarian views of Mawdudi about Din were criticized by

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi and others. 84 According to them, political
Islam is not a mainstream perception and Mawdudi’s interpretation of
the Din is more political one that is why Jam'iyat al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin,
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Da’esh and other Muslim terrorist groups
have opted for his concept of political Islam to get political powers. 85
The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan tried to solve the question of
sovereignty in the way that the sovereignty of God is there but He has
delegated His power to the people and the people through their

79
Muhammad Al-Atawneh, “Wahhabi Self-Examination Post-9/11: Rethinking the
‘Other’, ‘Otherness’ and Tolerance,” Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 47, no. 2 (March
2011), 258.
80
Abdul Rahman Mustafa, On Taqlīd: Ibn al Qayyim’s Critique of Authority in Islamic
Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 54.
81
Muhammad Khalid Masud, “Islam and Influence of Religious Extremism in Muslim
Societies,” (paper presented at Lecture Series for Islamabad Policy Research Institute,
Islamabad, Pakistan, December 20, 2016).
82
Ibid.
83
Ibid.
84
Ibid.
85
Ibid.
62
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

representatives. In fact, the parliament is exercising the dedicated

powers. 86

The assumption of the exclusive role of madrassa-trained clergy for

giving religious interpretation has created a space for them to establish
their monopoly over religious issues in Pakistan. The indulgence of
external actors and their funding to religious institutions have further
worsened the situation, thriving the religiously disruptive forces. With
the passage of time, sectarianism emerged as a security challenge to
national security and integration. The situation got worsened when
various clergy from different sects gave divergent interpretations of
Islam, which led to the tendency of extremism in the country. 87 The
reasons for not raising voice against religious extremism in Pakistan
include fear and anxiety, weakness, ambiguity, misunderstanding and
lack of critical and analytical outlook.

In reality, there is an ambiguity in Pakistan about the spirit of

religion, Islamic state, religious systems and objectives that affect
certain questions such as: What is the type of the state identity? What
should be the trends for Islamisation? What is Pakistan’s national
vision? Consequently, it has to get into a blind type of discussion such
as whether Islam or secularism was the idea of the founding father of
Pakistan. To achieve this goal, there are a number of Ulama Mashaikh
conferences held in Pakistan, which have merely resulted in
strengthening the existing strong sectarian sentiments of the religious
groups.

86
National Assembly of Pakistan, “The Constitution of The Islamic Republic of
Pakistan,” National Assembly of Pakistan, 2018, Available at:
http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1549886415_632.pdf (accessed on 28
April 2021).
87
Syed Jawad Shah & Waseem Ishaque, “Challenges of National Integration in
Pakistan And Strategic Response,” 42.
63
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Thus, Pakistan has a lot of ambiguities in dealing with these questions,

which gets accelerated by a belief that Islam is the only religion that
unites the different religious sects. Instead of solving the questions of
corruption, languages, provincialism, the Pakistani society and its
political and religious leadership have been stuck with an idea that
being a Muslim, they should stand closer and united by Islam. In fact,
they have a vague idea of unity and identity.

The conceptual confusion of ideological identity and modernity

predates independence. There were three perceptions about: the
Islamic nation, the role of state and how best to be a true Muslim
during the pre-partition of the subcontinent, which had contributed to
weakening the basic concepts. For instance, first, the Islamic nation
was defined in the pre-partition period as Ummah that did not
recognize any territory. On the contrary, Pakistan has been
territorialised. Even its constitution and religious groups have accepted
Pakistan’s territorial integrity.

Second, the state should be represented through religious identity.

When Pakistan came into being, most of its people were calling for the
implementation of Islam and Sharia in the country. They did not
believe any state role in the religious affairs. In fact, it was the colonial
period when for the first time the state had implemented Sharia in the
subcontinent.88

Third, there was a fear that commenting anything on the religion

could be penalized on the Day of Judgment or could be considered as
blasphemy. However, after independence, the country’s Constitution
evolved as a mix of modern democracy and Islamic statehood; actually,
in neither of the two.

88
Muhammad Khalid Masud, Ibid.
64
National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

Pakistan could not solve the conundrum of role of religion in the

ideological construct of the state. According to Stephen P. Cohen, “The
most significant struggle in Pakistan is not a civilizational clash between
Muslims and non-Muslims but a clatter between diverse conceptions
and interpretations of Islam, predominantly how Pakistan should
implement Islamic identity in State’s outlook.” 89 Such debates have
always cast negativity and have been a source of persistent friction in
the society and have kept the nation divided along religious-ethnic
lines. 90

The crisis of ambiguity in the religious discourse came from

modernity, the meaning of which is still unclear in the country as the
Pakistani society inherited this modernity from colonialism. The
concept of modernity was considered by the Muslims of the
subcontinent as an attack on their identity, culture and religion. At that
time Syed Ahmad Khan stood up to differentiate between modernity
and political aspect of Islam by asking the Muslims to acquire
education and knowledge. He clarified that Muslims of the
subcontinent needed a new theology and Ijtihad. His idea was criticized
by most of the religious scholars of the subcontinent, who considered
that Syed Ahmad Khan’s suggestions would defeat the Muslim political
history of the subcontinent, 91 thus they did not need any Ijtihad.
Rather, they demanded the revival of Muslim political status or the
revival of Islam in a political sense.

In Pakistan, the trend of political Islam has created further

confusion in the concept of modernity, which was based on power and
conflict theory that the political power should be divided on the basis
of sectarian Islam along with the restoration of Sharia and Islamic laws

89
Stephen P. Cohen, The Idea of Pakistan (Washington, DC: Brookings Institute Press,
2004), 197.
90
Ibid.
91
Muhammad Khalid Masud, Ibid.
65
JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

on the same lines. The weakness in the religious context is that the
Pakistani society has not been able to define nationalism, role of state
and sectarianism (whether it is good or bad). The fear in the religious
context is to do Ijtihad is to disintegrate Islam and to commit
blasphemy against religion. Any innovation or a new thing is not
forbidden in Islam until it is added in the religion as an obligation like
the obligations already pronounced in the Quran and Sunnah.

Recommendations

Against this cloudy horizon, steering the process of national integration

urges the federal government to focus on following steps:
• A well-thought-out National Social Action Plan (NSAP) is
required considering the socio-economic, and political
imperatives of all the provinces, thereby satisfying the essential
needs of the ethno-cultural, and socio-political divergent
identities. It will minimize the regional-provincial disequilibrium,
granting more sense of ownership to the federating units
supportive of the process of national integration.
• The on going political-economic initiatives for Balochistan taken
by the federal government are appreciable, yet more efforts at
the grass-roots level are needed to integrate the Baloch
communities with the other provinces. In this regard, the
provision of 4G internet service, and the development of the
transmission lines and rail-road networks in all the provinces
will help bring the on going initiatives to a logical end. In
addition, there is a need to allocate seats to the people of
Balochistan in all federal departments on the criteria of poverty,
backwardness, and area so that they could consider themselves
integral part of the country. It will equally help ensuring
participation of the dissatisfied people, thus neutralizing their
strong sub-nationalist feelings in the favour of national
cohesion.
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National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

• There is a need to improve the administrative structure of KP

government for implementing the former FATA merger plan in
true letter and spirit, addressing the unsteady development in
the region, which is crucial to the concept of national
integration.
• Equitable distribution of development projects is required while
accommodating the local private sector for creating new
entrepreneurial units, cementing the unified economy. The
central government needs to give priority to those projects,
which generate economic mergers, inter-provincial
interdependency, and national integration.
• To improve efficiency and capacity-building of all provincial and
federal departments, the central government should launch a
national policy giving guidelines for optimal departmental
performance based on administrative accountability,
decentralization of power, and removal of the traditional
bureaucratic attitudes.
• Inter-provincial internship programmes with attractive
packages for the qualified skilled professionals like doctors,
engineers, and economic managers should be encouraged.
Trade, labour, lawyer, and doctor unions should be
reinvigorated at the national level.
• Empowered Local Body system is indispensable for Pakistan to
keep people satisfied, narrowing down the spread of mistrust,
and reducing the separatist tendencies. Decentralization of
power from provinces to local bodies is a concrete measure to
uninterrupted growth of the political process, ensuring
integration of the deprived folks into the mainstream political
process.
• Perseverance, patience, and continuous political dialogue are
the key to building long-term consensus on the 18th
Amendment. In this context, proposing well-considered
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JSSA Vol. VII, No. 1 Muhammad Nawaz Khan

amendments and working for building consensus ought to be

the top priority of the federal government.
• National political parties need to shed off their major reliance
on provincial politics. They should transform their role,
behavioural pattern, political priorities, and party interests from
regional politics to more national politics.
• For ethnic and social harmony, the federal government should
start the series of seminars on regular basis to be held in each
provincial capital to inculcate the significance of unity in
diversity.
• The scope of Council of Islamic Ideology should not be only
confined to its role as an advisory body for the legislature that
whether or not laws are against the spirit of Qur'an and Sunnah.
It should also oversee any religious interpretation(s) given by
madrassa-trained clergy to avoid divergent Islamic
interpretation, and verdict, causing extremist leanings in
Pakistan. It is observed with concern that the Friday sermons of
various mosques tend to generate deviations, and sectarian
divides, thus flourishing extremism. To curb this detrimental
inclination, there is a dire need to develop a state-level single
national Friday sermon mandatory to be recited at the Friday
congregational prayers, thus solidifying the roots to national
integration.
• Media plays an important role for cultural consolidation and
national integration. A strong national narrative should be
broadcasted to counter the extremist and sectarian along with
provincialism narratives in the society.

Conclusion

National integration is a process of bringing together culturally and

socially distinct groups within the unified geographical boundaries of

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National Integration: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

the country in order to create a sense of oneness among them integral

to the national unity. The cluster of languages, cultures, and ethnicities
are perceived as the key elements that set a stage to the concept of
nationhood, where people-friendly policies encourage all segments of
society to play a constructive role in the nation-building. Opposite to
this, any sense of marginalization, ethno-linguistic and sectarian
schisms, extremism, caste-creed cleavages, and socio-economic
deprivation, are the impediments to the growth of nationhood.

In fact, the nexus between sentiments of oneness and human

development has become a central focus of national integration. These
two elements are interlinked. There will be no feelings of togetherness
without human resource development and no human resource
development without feelings of togetherness. The study finds that in
Pakistan, the successive governments could not get the desired
progress in human capital formation to remove socio-economic
injustices in Balochistan, interior Sindh, South Punjab, and tribal belt.
The challenges that the country is facing in the political and social
realms get compounded by provincialism, ethno-cultural divergences,
bad governance, and inequalities in the provision of education and
health services. As a result, socio-cultural, and political fault lines
remain the dominant features of Pakistani society.

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