Is Pakistan in a State of Internal Conflict?

Guwahati, May 6 (NationPress) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Tuesday that Pakistan is embroiled in a conflict with itself and has failed to establish itself as a cohesive nation even after 77 years of independence.

The Chief Minister supported his assertion by highlighting various points. On X, Sarma expressed: "Despite 77 years of independence, Pakistan is not a unified nation; it is a fragile federation of suppressed identities maintained through military dominance. While it advocates jihad abroad, it is grappling with an internal uprising that it cannot suppress indefinitely.

1. Balochistan: A Resource-Rich Region Deprived of Rights. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province endowed with gas, copper, and coal, is also its most oppressed. Armed factions like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) are engaged in a significant insurgency. They endure: thousands of enforced disappearances, army-led kill-and-dump operations, and the plundering of resources with no benefits for the Baloch populace. While Gwadar turns into a Chinese naval base, Balochistan remains lacking in clean water, jobs, and electricity.

2. Sindhudesh: The Quiet Uprising in Sindh. Sindhi nationalists accuse Islamabad of systematically attempting to erase the Sindhi language, culture, and political authority. Groups like the Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) advocate for secession. Major concerns include: forced demographic changes through settlements of Punjabis and Muhajirs, suppression of Sindhi history, and economic disenfranchisement in their homeland.

3. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Pashtun Resistance Against Military Rule. Movements such as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) contest the army's harsh occupation of Pashtun areas. They demand: an end to extrajudicial killings, the return of missing persons, and the dismantling of military checkpoints. Numerous Pashtuns identify as a "nation under occupation" within Pakistan, particularly following devastating military operations in FATA.

Sarma also referenced Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK: "These so-called 'provinces' lack constitutional recognition, assemblies, and representation. Movements like the Balawaristan National Front (BNF) are emerging in anger. Key issues include: land seizures by the military, absence of political autonomy, and rising resistance against Chinese dominance under CPEC.

5. Muhajirs: The Overlooked ‘Jinnahpur’ Aspirations. Once staunch allies of the Pakistani establishment, the Muhajir community now faces marginalization. The vision of a separate “Jinnahpur” state may have dimmed, but the discrimination continues. Operations in Karachi, MQM crackdowns, and political irrelevance underscore their betrayal by the very system they helped to forge," he noted on X.

The Chief Minister concluded that Pakistan is one army, but many nations, suggesting that its unity is merely an illusion.

“Pakistan is not a country; it is a factory of crises. It stifles its own diversity, denies its ethnic groups, and shifts blame for its failures onto the outside world. The movements of Baloch, Sindhi, Pashtun, Gilgiti, and Muhajir are not the result of Indian conspiracies; they stem from Pakistan’s own colonial mentality," he asserted.