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WHICH ethnicity and class has ruled us the most? Each era has a ruling clan with a top honcho and kitchen cabinet. But for ease, I focus on the former (ignoring dummy prime ministers). Jinnah (middle-class Mohajir); Liaquat Ali (landowner Mohajir), Bhuttos/Zardari (landowner Sindhis) and Sharif (industrialist Punjabi) were political and/or elected rulers.
But I take the full eras of Ghulam Mohammed/Zia (middle-class Punjabi); Iskander Mirza (middle-class Bengali/Mughal); Ayub (middle-class Pakhtun/Hindko); Yahya (middle-class ‘Frontier’ Persian) and Musharraf (middle-class Mohajir) as unelected or illegitimate. Apart from some, we have honest top honchos for the better part untainted by sleaze. But this didn’t end sleaze. Centrists (Jinnah and Bhutto/Zardari clan, all from Sindh) ruled for 17 years, politically.
Middle-class persons held the top spot the most (41 years), an industrialist for 10 years and landowners for 19 years. I don’t recall many landowners even in other kitchen cabinets. So, claims about their political hold only reflect their share in our dummy assemblies. Industrialist and landowner rule was elected (29 years); unelected rule (40 years) all by a right-wing middle-class.
Middle-class army rule was our most damaging era politically and security-wise. But this reflects both middle-class and army ethos. Sub-national rule by the middle-class PTI and MQM shows promise but it has issues too. But all its rules have had autocratic and elitist streaks. So its rise is no panacea.
Northern elites run our power train, with the south being pulled along.
Bengalis were a 50 per cent-plus majority till 1971 but got the top spot for three years, and that too via the bi-ethnic Mirza’s intrigue. Ayub ruled the longest, and then Punjabis and Mohajirs. After 1971, Punjab became a 50pc-plus majority and held the top spot most followed by Sindhis and Mohajirs. Paths to power and time there since 1947 vary ethnically. Punjabis and Mohajirs got it both ways (25 and 13 years), Sindhis politically (16 years), Pakhtun/Hindko non-politically (10 years) and Baloch neither way. Our most charismatic rulers (Jinnah, Ayub and Bhuttos) were all minorities; the three rulers from Punjab (all conservatives) had dour personas. It may be a fluke but I couldn’t resist a cheeky swipe at our forgiving hegemon. Change champ Imran may change this too, if nothing else. In Pindi, Punjabis were top honchos for 31 years (all after ’71), followed by Persian speakers, Mohajirs and Pakhtuns.
Punjab led both domains after 1971, but did share the top spots. The 18th Amendment helped a bit too. But a new era run by Punjab conservatism is on now, as demographic destiny becomes democratic destiny belatedly after ’71. All four prime ministers and three army chiefs after 2008 were Punjabi. Punjab conservative elites hold the top spots in the PML-N and PTI, the main 2018 federal rivals. And if we tire of democracy and ‘invite’ our Pindi boys for a ‘short’ run, we will get Punjab conservatism too! So, all paths to power end at it.
But size divides too. Our two key current conflicts (army vs Nawaz; PML-N vs PTI) are within Punjab conservatism, economic vs political. One wants peace, the other tensions with India. Both states now adorn three-barrel conservatism: economic elitism, social extremism and political exclusion.
Punjab conservatism’s hold irks KP elites less as they are largely conservative too and have a share in our real power bases (military/bureaucracy). It irks more the mainly centrist elites of the southern two provinces weak in these bases. This is the land of aggrieved ethnicities (Sindhis, Mohajirs and Baloch) irked with their low political pecking orders and in conflict with the centre.
The days the PPP ran centrist coalitions of weak elites federally are over. Northern elites now run our power train, with the south being pulled along reluctantly in back bogies. The plush front bogies sing fiery patriotic songs, the bare back ones moan in dissent sullenly. The creaky train mirrors the ‘Pakistan’ acronym: Punjab first, then Afghania, Sindh next and Balochistan last. What’s in a name? In Pakistan’s name is its elite hierarchy. But masses all suffer.
Punjab was a fun place once with bhangra, music and other fun stuff seen so vividly in the Billo day ghar song. I know as I was born there then, in Faiz and Manto’s land. It now adorns public religiosity which doesn’t improve morality but fans extremism and unthinking mediocrity. Many forms of mob extremism (acid, blasphemy and lawyers’ attacks) occur almost solely there. One yearns for the old Punjab, for its own, Pakistan’s and the region’s good. But that civilisation seems to have gone with the wind.
The writer is a Senior Fellow with UC Berkeley and heads INSPIRING Pakistan, a progressive policy unit.
Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2017
Comments (18) Closed
From famous Urdu poets of 20th century to Pakistani cricket teams to dominating bureaucracy to political power, Lahore dominates by a wide margin. Rest of Punjab's districts did not share the so-called "Punjabi domination" in any field. This type of selective comparison is very unscientific. What about a similar unscientific survey, which suggest that as many as 40+ MNAs believe in their Meccan ancestry ( Syed, Shah, Qureshi, Hashmi, Alavi, Rizvi, Naqvi etc )? Should this be Arab domination or too many people with Khan last name suggest Afghan domination? Should Kapoor clan's power in Indian film industry be called KP domination for Raj Kapoor birthplace, Peshawar or Punjabi domination for being a Kapoor?
An interesting article with excellent breakdown of Pakistani Rulers arranged ethnically and financially class wise.I liked the Writer's expression on Musharraf,"Musharraf(Middle Class Mohajir)as unelected or illegitimate"? We are eagerly waiting for 2018 Elections to see who the new Ruler will emerge out of the four Provinces of Pakistan?
One million Indians went off to fight in World War II. Half a million of those men were Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims from Punjab. Punjabis have influence.
Lamentably, the last paragraph says it all. It will never be the same again.
There may never be the likes of another Ustad Mehdi Hasan emerging again since the archaic belief that arts and singing development of a mind is an unholy thing and must be abolished in pursuit of "piety".
The dominance will not last for long.
Divisions are a endless process , it may start with religion but then descend further into language , cultures, clans , tribes, ethinicity , sects etc.. to establish dominance within the division. The reason for the indo-pak relation might lie in researching into such power trains in each country . A very good insight this article provides
Divisions are a endless process , it may start with religion but then descend further into language , cultures, clans , tribes, ethinicity , sects etc.. to establish dominance within the division. The reason for the indo-pak relation might lie in researching into such power trains in each country . A very good insight this article provides
Divisions are a endless process , it may start with religion but then descend further into language , cultures, clans , tribes, ethinicity , sects etc.. to establish dominance within the division. The reason for the indo-pak relation might lie in researching into such power trains in each country . A very good insight this article provides
Divisions are a endless process , it may start with religion but then descend further into language , cultures, clans , tribes, ethinicity , sects etc.. to establish dominance within the division. The reason for the indo-pak relation might lie in researching into such power trains in each country . A very good insight this article provides
"It now adorns public religiosity which doesn’t improve morality but fans extremism and unthinking mediocrity. Many forms of mob extremism (acid, blasphemy and lawyers’ attacks) occur almost solely there. One yearns for the old Punjab, for its own, Pakistan’s and the region’s good. But that civilisation seems to have gone with the wind."
Excellent summarisation, I always say Punjab has a a serious caste, sectarian and radicalisation problem
Punjab has to be divided into 3 or 4 provinces, this will be good for the country in good faith
With the largest population, Punjab's position resembles that of Serbia in former Yugoslavia.
"Middle-class army rule was our most damaging era politically and security-wise." Incidentally none of them or their family got rich while in power, or later, but country got slightly richer compared to others', during their tenure. The development of a country is always on a slow path. Those who are in hurry never get there, but their rulers certainly do. Secondly the "most damaging era" part was not explained. Should we accept that just because you say so? Actually their rule followed "our most damaging era politically and security-wise." According to your standards, we are presently living in the golden era of our history, "politically and security-wise."!!!!!
There is no such thing as "ethnic Punjabi". Punjab is filled with many clans and many ethnicities: Jatt, Gujjar, Mughal, Sheikh, Awans, Kashmiris...and many many other clans. Many do not even marry with each other. Then there are different languages or dialects within Punjab which are extremely hard to understand for people living within the State of Punjab. My forefathers were Arabians from Central Asia.
@Secular Pathan "Punjab has to be divided into 3 or 4 provinces, this will be good for the country in good faith" All the provinces should be. The more the merrier. If that is not possible, then the local governments should be strictly enforced with funds directly given without approval of federal or provincial governments, according to predetermined formulas. That system works very well in Japan. Not because they are rich, but because the mean it.
@Khwarizmi "There is no such thing as "ethnic Punjabi". Same for all provinces. There are no ethnic Sindhi, Balochi, Pathan Kashmiri, Gigiti either. Even less so for Muhajirs. Let's come out of this so called ethnic affiliations, that doesn't exist anyway.
Very creative writer with very unique pair of probing eyes. Very good analysis. May his tribe increase in S.Asia.
A well-written article but smells defensive grandstanding.