PREPARED BY: MS.
NARGIS SHAMIM
Introduction
August 14, 1947, commemorates a historical event that saw the birth
of one of the world’s most significant countries. The list of initial
problems of Pakistan is too long to be discussed in a single article.
The majority of the first issues were deliberately engineered to
destabilize the fledgling state. Partition was not the only issue;
forming a new administration in a country with so many unfriendly
borders was challenging and one of the vital initial problems faced
by Pakistan. In summary, Pakistan’s independence and establishment
were not easy to obtain and required the sacrifice of hundreds of
thousands of people.
Geographical Issues
Pakistan was divided into two parts that were
over a thousand miles apart. East Pakistan
comprises the majority of Bengal and the
Sylhet region, which opted to join Pakistan in
a referendum.
West Pakistan is made up of the provinces of
West Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and NWFP.
Pakistan also gained the princely kingdoms of
Dir, Swat, Chitral, Hunza, Gilgit, and
Bahawalpur.
The region that belonged to India divided these
two wings of Pakistan by around 1000 km.
Except for religion, these two wings had
nothing in common.
Political issues
The British left India with government buildings, furniture,
and even officials. None of these existed in Pakistan. India
had officials with political experience, including members of
the Indian National Congress, who were tasked with
administering the administration.
The constituent Assembly members in Pakistan were
primarily affluent landowners with no political experience.
Quaid-e-Azam would need to identify a capital, a government,
and officials to assure the efficient management of the new
state because Pakistan lacked both administrative and
government apparatus to administer the affairs of a new
country.
The fact that the Quaid-e-Azam had TB was likely a huge
issue.
Economic Issues
Pakistan’s economic issues stemmed from its underdevelopment and lack of
industry. Only Karachi had a modern port, but the rest of Pakistan was not
connected to the central Indian industrialisation.
Around 90% of the inhabitants resided in the countryside, with only municipalities
accounting for the remaining 10%.
Agriculture in Pakistan did not yield enough excess to provide the resources
required for industrialisation. Only jute exports provided Pakistan with most of its
foreign exchange earnings, but the issues caused by a partition are demonstrated
by the fact that Pakistan had no jute mills in 4 years. The new India had all of the
jute mills.
Pakistan’s economic assets as a proportion of GDP following partition:
Businesses in the industrial sector were 10%
Industrial employees make about 6.5 per cent of the workforce
Electrical capacity 5%
Mineral Deposits Accounted for 10% of the total
Electricity Issues
The energy system in West Punjab was
interrupted due to the transfer of Muslim
majority territories to India and unjust
demarcation because all power stations
were at Mundi, a primarily Muslim
majority area donated to India. However,
Quaid-e-Azam said:
If we are to survive as a nation, we
must confront our issues with
tenacity and power.
Social Problems
Pakistan was divided into five distinct areas, each with its own set of
social issues.
Some historians have suggested that it was five separate countries.
There were undoubtedly five different demographic groups.
Pakhtuns in the North
Balochs in the West
Sindhis in the South
Punjabis in the North East
Bengalis in the East
Traditions, customs, languages, and lifestyles varied greatly among
these individuals. In 1947, Baluchistan and Bengal were undecided
about transferring their allegiance to a nascent Pakistan since the
national language, Urdu, would not be the one they spoke.
The Accession of The Princely States
Lord Mountbatten gave 462 Princely states
the option of choosing between India and
Pakistan. Because of their geography and
faith, the decision was simple.
The northern Pakistani provinces of Dir,
Swat, Chitral, Amb, and Hunza joined
Pakistan in 1947.
Bahawalpur, in the West, and Sylhet, in the
East, both joined Pakistan by referendum.
The Accession of The Princely States
Hyderabad Junagarh
With a population of 160 million, Junagarh was a minor state located 300 miles south of
Hyderabad was the most populous of Karachi on the seashore. Its ruler was Muslim, but the
the princely realms. With an income of majority of the populace was not. In 1947, Prince
160 million rupees, it was prosperous. proclaimed his intention to join Pakistan.
However, Lord Mountbatten told Pakistan that
Nizam wanted to join Pakistan, but Junagarh’s admission constituted a violation of Indian
due to India’s non-Muslim sovereignty and territory. Indian army eventually
population, he was forced to enter encircled the state and seized control.
India. Pakistan has lodged a protest with the United Nations
He filed a complaint with UNO in against unlawful occupation, but the issue has yet to be
settled.
August. However, Indian armies took
Hyderabad before it could be heard.
The Kashmir Problem
The state of Jammu and Kashmir was the source of the most serious dispute between India
and Pakistan. Its strategic importance stemmed from its borders with Tibet, China,
Afghanistan, and Russia.
Although the majority of Kashmir’s 40 million residents were Muslims, the Maharaja was
Hindu. He began an effort to expel numerous Muslims from Kashmir in September 1947.
Over 200,000 people escaped to Pakistan, and the Muslims eventually rose in revolt. The
Maharaja was compelled to seek assistance from India to defeat the Muslims.
With Indian help, Maharaja Hari Singh consented to join India. Pakistan has also
dispatched soldiers to assist in the Kashmir conflict (Muslims).
Neither side was capable of waging a lengthy battle. As a result, the subject was sent to
the United Nations in January 1948. On January 1, 1949, a cease-fire was agreed upon, and
Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan. India still controls the majority of Kashmir,
including the city, Srinagar.
Once the situation stabilized, Indian Prime Minister Nehru decided to hold a plebiscite in
Kashmir to ascertain the people’s aspirations. This referendum has not yet taken place.
The Partition of Financial and Military Assets
It was agreed that the assets would be split 17:5 between India and Pakistan. This represented the country’s
proportional size and population.
In June 1947, it was decided that Pakistan would get 750 million rupees from the 4 billion rupees. The first
200 million rupees were paid, but India refused to spend the rest, claiming that Pakistan would only use the
money to acquire weapons to combat India. Gandhi was adamant that the distribution of assets be equitable,
and he took attempts to urge India to pay the money owed to him.
He successfully persuaded the Indian government to pay an additional 500 million rupees by threatening to
go on a hunger strike. Pakistan and India shared 36 per cent and 64 per cent of the armed forces and
military equipment, respectively.
Armed services members were given the option of serving in whatever country they desired. Muslim troops
were sent to Pakistan, while non-Muslim troops were sent to India. Pakistan’s army, which numbered
150,000 troops, had just 2500 Muslim officers.
It required 4000 officers, and Jinnah eventually had to acquire 500 British officers temporarily. India
held all 16 ordnance factories and refused to hand over any. Pakistan lacked a military-industrial
complex. India finally agreed to pay 60 million rupees in exchange for the ordnance factory. India
decided to send over military supplies that were frequently old, worn, broken, and obsolete.
Canal Water Dispute
The canal water issue dates back to 1947
when Punjab was partitioned. West Pakistan
is irrigated by a network of canals that
receive water from the area’s three major
rivers: the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.
The challenge for Pakistan was that water
flow was regulated by many headworks in
the East Punjab region (India).
As a result, India and Pakistan are soon
embroiled in a canal water conflict. Pakistan
demanded that an international court hear the
case of justice, but India refused. Finally, in
May 1948, India temporarily let water from
east Punjab flow into West Punjab.
The Refugee Crisis And the Housing Shortages
There was considerable violence between Muslims and non-Muslim
populations across India in the years leading up to the partition. During the
summer of 1947, some riots resulted in several deaths. Things worsened
after the Boundary Award was issued in August 1947. Millions of
individuals were mistakenly relocated to the incorrect nation and were
victims of community violence.
That year saw the world’s most remarkable migration as well as some
of the worst communal violence ever seen. By January 1948, about 20
million people had relocated from India to Pakistan or the other way
around. Many Muslim historians think that Hindus and Sikhs conspired to
murder Muslim migrants in a planned slaughter. A million men, women,
and children perished due to the violence and arduousness of the voyage.
Almost ten million individuals have been displaced. In 1947, over 2
million migrants arrived in Karachi alone.
It would have been difficult for Pakistan to accommodate such a large
number of people. The authorities in Delhi were forced to proclaim martial
law in September 1947 as non-Muslim immigrants began slaughtering
native Muslims. India and Pakistan became so concerned about sectarian
violence that they started working together to stop it.
Choosing the country’s Capital
One of Pakistan’s most post-independence severe
concerns was the lack of developed cities in
comparison to India.
As a result, Pakistani politicians have just a few
options for capital cities. Karachi was designated as the
government capital, and officers and officials from
Delhi traveled to Karachi to set up shop. However,
there were insufficient records, offices, and furnishings.
During that difficult period, several government offices
were housed in military barracks.
After 20 years of division, Islamabad became the
second capital of Pakistan on August 14, 1967, under
the administration of Ayub Khan.
Language Issues
Pakistan had more than 70 languages
spoken at the time of independence.
However, only Urdu was designated as
the official language in the 1956
constitution.
This instilled animosity in the hearts of
Bengalis in East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh), leading to riots and,
eventually, the foundation of Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, the leaders bungled the
situation, and there were deaths as a result
of the rioting.
Death of Quaid E Azam and
Liaqat Ali Khan
Nawab Zada Liaqat Ali Khan was killed at
Company Bagh Rawalpindi in 1951 while
addressing a throng of more than 1 lac
people, almost a year after Pakistan gained
independence. Due to the untimely deaths
of these two presidents, Pakistan has been
without leaders who are genuinely
committed to the country. Instead,
bureaucracy and disingenuous leaders
brought the country to its knees.
Making of Constitution
The lack of a constitution was one
of the most severe issues that the
early Pakistanis faced. As a result,
several revisions to the Indian Act
of 1935 were made temporarily
and approved as an interim
constitution.
Boundary Protection
Pakistan grew anxious about
safeguarding its borders as soon as it
gained independence due to concerns on
both the eastern and western frontiers.
Afghanistan refused to acknowledge Paki
stan in the West and was the only country
to reject Pakistan’s UN membership
. For a variety of reasons, the situation
with India in the East was likewise not
favorable. In addition, there was a
scarcity of contemporary military
hardware. As a result, securing Pakistan’s
borders became a significant issue at the
time.
Conclusion?
