News
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
‘Dirty politics’ threatening foundations of ethnic harmonyBy Iqbal Khattak
PESHAWAR: While the situation might get better in the coming days and business might return to normal, the ethnic harmony appears to have fallen victim to “politics” in Hazara over the renaming of NWFP: the long-term consequences may prove disastrous for the country in general and the province in particular. And all this has surfaced at a critical time with the fight against militancy entering the most decisive summer since 2002.
Commentators billing the developments of recent days “politics” have forgotten to add the word “dirty” to complete the phrase – “dirty politics”, played over the renaming of the province among Leaguers on one side and between the Awami National Party and the Leaguers on the other.
The political and ideological rivalry between the ANP and the Pakistan Muslim League dates back to the early days of Pakistan. But it had never before been selfish enough to endanger the very foundations of ethnic harmony among various communities of NWFP.
Sound reasoning against the plan to rename the province as “Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa” is yet to surface from quarters condemning the ANP. And it hardly appears to be the case that the renamed province would undermine the rights, status, culture, heritage and history of the people who feel threatened.
With the issue amicably resolved on the floor of parliament, it is hard to imagine why anybody had to resort to street politics. Does parliamentary approval mean nothing to these politicians? Should we settle political issues on the streets rather than on the floor of parliament?
Hazara has produced seven chief ministers, but no Pakhtoon-dominated district or region has ever agitated so violently, although the ANP could have easily played a role in sparking ethnic disharmony in the province. So why such an outburst from a people accepted very much as sons of the frontier soil?
The residents of Hazara have never before had any policy difference with the rest of the province. The developments of the last 10 days appear to have been scripted much earlier.
Commentators see all this as just “politics” played by some defeated politicians. One of them, a former foreign minister, has even said that police from Mardan and Charsadda were brought in to kill protesters intentionally. Such a statement from a politician who takes pride in playing national-level politics is shameful. It is difficult to find an instance where democracy allowed a minority to dictate a majority.
Let’s assume the situation gets out of control and both the Pakistan Muslim League and the ANP refuse to budge an inch from their stated positions and the province sinks deeper into political crisis. Would such a situation be of any good to the country at this critical time when it is fighting militancy with the possibility of a final battle in the inaccessible Tirah valley? If the military wants, and I am sure it does, to focus on militancy, it would not want the situation to reach a point of no return.
Where does the ANP’s fault lie? It did not reach out to the people of Hazara immediately after the National Assembly passed the 18th Amendment Bill on April 8. The party should have reassured the ‘Hazarawals’ that their rights, identity, culture, heritage and history would remain as safe as it had ever been.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk