There is chaos everywhere inside and outside Pakistan. Taliban attacks on the Afghan border are increasing, insurgency in Balochistan has taken a permanent form and people are continuously taking to the streets in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). From economy to foreign policy, it was already in disarray. The situation is such that Pakistan seems to be entering the most unstable period in its history.
Pakistan and Taliban ruled afghanistan After four days of violent clashes, they agreed to stop the attacks. The ceasefire came into effect for 48 hours from Wednesday evening. This conflict suddenly brought out the hatred between the two. Many videos are going viral on social media, in which it is seen that Taliban fighters allegedly brutalized Pakistani soldiers. Although the authenticity of the video could not be confirmed, the hostility became openly visible in Kabul and Islamabad.
what is the quarrel between the two
Pakistan always wanted the Kabul government to be soft towards it. Taliban When he came to power, his hopes seemed shattered. Islamabad alleges that many leaders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have taken refuge in Kabul and are destabilizing Pakistan from there. Taliban denies this. Under the cover of TTP attacks, Pakistan started attacks on Afghanistan. After this the conflict started. However, the main reason for the rift between the two is the Durand Line. Kabul considers this border division wrong and tension often arises on this issue.
The recent visit of Taliban Foreign Minister to India convinced Pakistan that Taliban is also joining hands with its enemy. After this he got more agitated.
Clashes between the two had taken place earlier too but on a limited scale. Now they are becoming more organized.
What are Baloch angry about?
Balochistan has separately troubled Pakistan. This is the largest part of the total land of Pakistan, where nature has been very kind. There are mines like gas, minerals etc. Yet the level of poverty, unemployment and political neglect is highest there. Instead of promoting local people for mining, an agreement was signed with China. Due to all these reasons, Baloch anger started rising.
However, Baloch nationalism is not a new idea. There have been many rebellions since the forties. But in recent years both its form and edge have changed. Earlier this movement was limited in geographical area, now its spread has increased. Now its targets are not only army bases but also foreign projects.
Baloch Liberation Army started targeting Chinese citizens and engineers. This created a double crisis for Pakistan – on one hand political instability and on the other hand loss of confidence of foreign investors.
PoK has always been unhappy
There is dissatisfaction in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) like in Balochistan. Pakistan has maintained the illusion of forcibly annexing it but is not able to provide equality. In the last two years, not a month has passed here when protests have not taken place. The people here are deprived of even basic facilities like electricity and water, leave alone political access. This anger born out of economic and political neglect is shaking the very limits of Pakistan.
For the first time even the army is seen as the villain.
Along with external fronts, Pakistan’s internal structure is also in disarray. Politics has become like the throne of a scared king, in which upheavals are happening again and again. The army is still the most powerful institution under the command of General Asim Munir, but public trust has declined rapidly. Its reflection is also visible on social media. For the first time, slogans like Generals Go Home are being raised openly in Pakistan.
All this could have been managed even if the country’s economy had remained strong, but here it too is at the mercy of institutions like IMF. Overall, what Islamabad is facing now is the most critical time for it since independence. China, which was betting on Pakistan, is also not investing in new infrastructure the way it used to do a few years ago due to fear of losing money.
Then can Pakistan be divided again
Going back, the separation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was not a sudden event. This explosion occurred after three decades of continuous discrimination, and was so severe that it stopped at Partition. Today’s situation is somewhat similar. The government is completely dependent on the army. The foreign policy is similarly weak. The American President is definitely meeting but he also does not seem ready to cooperate. Even traditional allies like Saudi Arabia and UAE are now showing coolness.
However, division does not happen only due to dissatisfaction or violence. There are several conditions for this
– The control of the center has become very weak.
– Preparation of parallel structure within the country
– getting international support or recognition
At present the situation in Pakistan is indicating that if the situation is not controlled then the functional unity may break. Meaning, the country will look one, but will run on the terms of different parts. It is like if the kitchen in the house is divided due to mutual fight but for show the joint family remains.
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