The Mohajir Mentality

(From Article 149 (4)- 239 (4) and 18th Amendment)


  By: Mohsin Joyo

As partition took place in 1947, Sindh lost its right of self-rule, which was taken away during  British invasion in 1843, while it was clearly stated in the 1940 resolution that Muslim dominated areas without be given the right of sovereign states, but after partition they were declared as provinces. The Sindhi Hindus were forced to leave their motherland and migrate to India, those migrated was middle class of Sindh, including intellectuals, writers, doctors, scholars, the trading and business community and educationists.

Even at the night of partition, Sindh was free from communal violence, and the then Sindh government had not asked Hindu Sindhi to migrate from their motherland, Mr. Ayub Khuro, who held the office of Chief Minister of Sindh at that time was against human displacement of Sindhis as well as any other group of people. While important political and scholarly figures like Mr. G M Syed, Mr. Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, Mr. Shaikh Ayaz and others were against the migration of Sindhi Hindus to India, as even up to 1947 and making of Pakistan, the Sindhi Hindus had not even thought about migrating from their motherland.

On 18th November 1947, Government of Pakistan declared Karachi as capital of Pakistan, and it got federal rights, and the federation stubbornly stood on one point that all the administrative powers of Karachi should be handed over to Karachi, (Liaquat Ali Khan, the first PM of newly born Pakistan, who was a hardcore Mohajir, wanted to make Karachi his electoral constituency and started the conspiracy to separate Karachi from Sindh). While the brave Sindh Government firmly stood upon the claim that though Karachi was capital of Pakistan, but Sindh should retain its administration. 

It is amazing that even after 72 years, same Mohajir mentality remains intact to this day and same claim is being repeated regarding administration of Karachi, the capital of Sindh, but it should be remembered that at that point of time Pakistan had no constitution, while Mr. Jinnah had taken that decision as Governor General of newly-born Pakistan. In this regards Zahid Chuadhry has written that:   

"The president of Muslim League, Mr. Jinnah, on 3 June 1947, after announcing the plan of partition had declared Karachi as the capital of newly-born Pakistan and instructed the then Prime Minister of Sindh, Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah to start paper work to hand over Karachi to center." 

After partition Mr. Ayub Khuro became Chief Minister of Sindh, who resisted against limiting powers of Sindh government and separating Karachi from Sindh and strongly opposed that agenda. Upon Mr. Khuro's resistance Liaquat Ali Khan openly came out with his conspiracy by issuing statement that:

"Sindh government should leave Karachi, it should make its capital Hyderabad or any other city."
Mr. Khuro wrote that Mr. Jinnah remained silent and didn't defend him (Khuro).

The point now is historic lands were denied right of states and were enslaved as they were declared provinces, Sindh is one such province that has been used as an experimental laboratory again and again bu center during past 72 years. Sindh province has been denied of opportunities of progress, and center has experimenting on whether to give rights of mineral resources to Sindh province or not. They impose one-unit on Sindh, sometimes cry to separate Karachi from Sindh, sometimes it faces worst martial law, they take away employment opportunities from Sindhis, loot their resources and reject its development projects.

During these 72 years Sindhis have faced emergency everyday in one or other form, Sindhis have got gifts of hundreds of dead bodies, their leaders have been assassinated, is there any way out? Would we be treated like an equal nation. We Sindhis are also humans, we have a vast cultural, historical and lingual heritage and a motherland from thousands of years. Should the Sindhis be punished only for that that their majority votes for PPP or Muslim League. These Mohajirs, who have confirmed as agents of RAW acceptable in your sight, but Sindhis are still unacceptable!! The Sindh Assembly and Sindhi people who passed resolution for Pakistan, are ignored and excluded from important decisions on Karachi.

According to Article 239 (4) your assembly (center) is not authorized to misuse Article 149 (9), you have been not given that mandate by the people, but if the center wants to turn Sindh in Kashmir by using force, then you are most welcome!!

(Mohsin Joyo)