Identity Crisis In Pakistan Essay

Ethnicity crisis in The Context of National identity and political Legitimacy In Pakistan

Abstract

This paper presents the problem of Ethnicity in context of national identity and political legitimacy crisis in Pakistan. The question of Ethnicity has become a complicated and threatening problem mainly in developing and underdeveloped countries. Ethnicity is a very broad term which can be defined in different ways depending on the perspective. However, in this context, ethnicity is defined as a shared cultural identity concerning with similar practices, initiations, beliefs and linguistic features passed over from one generation to another. In Pakistan today and indeed elsewhere in the developing

The ethnic/regional/tribal/religious groups demand independence and refuse to submit to the authority of the central government. These groups want complete self-rule and special position in the state. The identity crisis can be interpreted in many ways into the political process.It generally ref1ects the sentiments of nationalism and the desire of the people to live together in a common place. It implies that the identity crisis is the feeling of an individual’s association with a particular political system. In the process of political change, an identity crises occurs "when a community guides that it had once unquestionably accepted as physical and psychological definitions of its collective self are no longer acceptable under new territorial conditions" (Samuel, 1971). The disintegration of East Pakistan and present alarming situation in Sindh and Baluchistan are good examples in this regard. The vast dispersal of communication have

Federalism accommodates the different ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversities in the state. Pakistan encountered severe problems in evolving a working federal system which could ensure unity in diversity and promote harmony and interdependence among different political units in the state. Customarily Central government neglects the political aspects of the provinces central government gives the impression of they have strong hand over the provinces.As the matter of fact that strong authoritarian political system refute the sprite of federalism. Mutual fear and suspicion always exists between the center and federating units. Continual Military intervention and break down of constitution weaken the role of provinces and strengthened the centralized authority non democratic directions set in Pakistan that is Fact federalism is the best pattern of pluralism where different ethnic populations co-exist calmly. There are some states having federal systems in appearance not in essence. The former Soviet Union was a federation in form only. Actually it was a unitary state because its different institutions, political party and economic planning activates had strong centralized tendencies. The similar case has been observed in Ethiopia and Nigeria. IN both the states, constitution proclaimed ethnic minority rights but the