Initial Problems Of Pakistan Flashcards
1
Q
Geographical Problems
A
- Most Countries have natural border; rivers, mountains or seas
- Pakistan was split in 2 parts (West and East)
- 1000 miles apart
- Hostile India in b/w
- East Pakistan; Bengal, without Calcutta and Sylhet
- West; Sindh, Baluchistan, NWFP, Princely States
- Distance Made Governance, Communication, and Administration difficult
- Nothing common except religion
2
Q
Political Problems
A
1) Infrastructure
- India inherited Govt. Buildings, furnishing, and official
- Pakistan had none
2) Political Expertise
- India had official congress members with expertise to govern
- They had worked to gain influence under British, and had seen elections and holding office
- Pakistan; Had Constituent Assembly Members, mostly wealthy landlords with little expertise
- League drew most support from rural areas
3) East and West
- Geographical Distance made governance difficult
4) Lack of Governmental Machinery
- Pakistan lacked administrative and governmental machinery to govern new country
- Quaid needed to find new capital and officials
5) Tuberculosis
- Quaid suffered TB for years
- He knew little time to live
- Committed to ensure nation’s survival
3
Q
Social
A
- Made of 5 different regions
- Pakhtuns in North
- Balochs in West
- Sindhis in South
- Punjabis in North East
- Bengalis in the East
- They had different traditions, culture, languages
- British system gave them very little opportunity and representation
- Some of them were not sure whether or not to transfer allegiance to Pakistan, where language was Urdu which they did not speak
4
Q
Division of Asset
A
- Assets divided 17:5
- Pakistan would get 750 Million of 4 Billion in the Indian State Bank
- They paid 200 Million
- Then war broke out and they refused to pay rest
- Only after Ghandi’s objection and hunger strike threats were the 500 Million paid
- 50 Million was never paid
- Armed forces were to be divided 64:36
- Soldiers could opt
- 150,000 army needed 4,000 officers
- Only 2,500 trained Muslims
- Jinnah forced to take 500 British
- All 16 Ordinance factories in India
- Pakistan had none, and 60 Million was paid in compensation
- Military supplies not handed over, did not arrive at time or were obsolete and damaged
5
Q
Accession Of Princely States
A
- Mountbatten told Princes they would not get independence, as he feared conflict
- They were given choice to join either, for may religion or location made it straightforward
- In 1947, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Amb, Hunza, Gilgit and Kalat in Baluchistan joined Pakistan, as well as Bahawalpur and Sylhet
- In other areas it was more difficult
- Hyderabad was largest princely state
- 160 million + population
- very wealthy
- Nizam wanted dominion status, but told it was not possible
- State had non-Muslim majority, but Nizam was Muslims and wanted Pakistan
- Indian Government, were determined to not allow
- It began coercing him, he was unwilling, but gave in to a treaty in respect of defense, foreign affairs and communication
- But further pressure was applied, then they filed complaint to UN
- Before it could be heard, Indian troops entered Hyderabad, and dismantled state
- Junagadh was small state on coast
- non-Muslim majority
- Prince was Muslim
- Announced it would join Pakistan
- Mountbatten told Pakistan, the accession of this state, would be “an encroachment on Indian sovereignty and territory.”
- Indian troops surrounded
- Blockade was imposed, and food shortage arose
- November 1947, Indian entered and invaded, taking control
- Pakistan protested to UN, of illegal occupation, but matter unresolved
- Most serious disagreement was over Jammu and Kashmir
- Largest state in subcontinent, with strategic importance due to borders, with Tibet, China, Afghanistan and Russia
- Most of 4 million inhabitants were Muslim, but Mahraja was Hindu
- Believed he was pushing for independence, hence the delay in joining either
- Hari Singh did not treat Muslims well
- In September 1947, he started campaign to expel Muslims
- Over 200,000 fled to Pakistan
- Finally Muslims rose in rebellion
- Hari Singh asked India for help, to crush them
- They only agreed after he agreed to join India
- Pakistan could not accept this
- Troops were sent to help
- Pakistan was convinced India had always planned to seize Kashmir
- Neither side was strong enough for long war
- Matter referred to UNO, and ceasefire was arranged
- It was divided b/w two, and Pakistan was furious as India retained largest area including Srinagar, capital
- After Mountbatten pressure, Nehru agreed a referendum would be held in Kashmir to see what Kashmiris wanted
- It has not been held and remains major issue, Pakistan has made numerous demands to UN, so far agreement has been possible
6
Q
Refugee Crisis and Accommodation Problem
A
- 3 days after partition, Radcliffe Award announced
- 20 million displaced
- 10 Million went either way
- 1 million slaughtered
- There was rioting, and violence
- After the award many found themselves in wrong country and became victim to communal violence
- Some migrated, with possessions, willingly
- Others moved, to escape violence and had nothing
- Karachi received 2 million in 1947
- Difficult for nascent country, to accommodate and house
- Some were so distressed that they turned on local population. In Delhi non-Muslims butchered local Muslims
- Things got so bad that the two began working together to try and suppress violence
- More orderly evacuation of refugees but not complete end to violence
7
Q
Canal Water Dispute
A
- Originated from Partition Of Punjab, 1947
- West Pakistan is fertile, but hot and dry, and not much rainfall
- Relies on rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab for irrigation
- Partition cut across many canals
- Flow of water controlled by headworks
- Most remained in India
- India stopped water and claimed it could do so as headworks were with them and water flowed through their territory
- This would destroy agriculture in Pakistan
- Pakistan argued its right, as economy depended on it
- Quaid declared, by all international standards it had rights as the water flowed down to Pakistan
- Temporarily resolved by World Bank
- India agreed to allow water to flow from East Punjab To West Punjab, only if Pakistan tried to find alternative water sources
- Resolved later on by Indus Water Treaty
