Pukhtoonkhwa
By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
Changing the name of NWFP to Pukhtoonkhwa seems to be not only a top priority with the ANP but a sort of obsession with them. NWFP is part of the federation of Pakistan and any change in its name would involve constitutional legalities which would have to be approved by the parliament.
Sensibilities of the Hazarawals, Hindku-speaking Peshawaris and Kohatis, Saraiki-speaking Derawals of DIK area, the Chitralis and the Kailash, and the Gilgitis, Baltistanis and the Hunza people – who will all in time to come in the fold of NWF, make a sizeable population that could pose problems not easily ignorable for the Pukhtoon-specific name. A name like Khyber, Abaseen, Gandhara or simply Sarhad could have been more acceptable to all.
But ‘Sarhad’, as the NWFP is most commonly called, seems to be the main target of the Red Shirts, who consider its doing away akin to doing away with the Sarhad – the border – physically. This might rekindle Afghnistan’s desire and claim over the territories extending up to River Jhelum.
As a matter of fact I would welcome that. Let there be a larger province from Kabul and beyond up to Jhelum and let its people decide for themselves whether they want to be part of Pakistan or Afghanistan. The resultant outcome is obvious.
I am alive to the huge development program Pakistan will have to undertake to bring this North West part of the new province in line with the rest of the country, but it will be worth its while in the long run. It will bring Pakistan closer to the Central Asian countries with immense economic benefits for all in the region. I hope Afghanistan will see where benefit lies for it and not oppose the reunion of the territories.
