Initial Problems Of Pakistan

Question 1

Geographical Problems

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Political Problems

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Social

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

Division of Asset

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

Accession Of Princely States

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

Refugee Crisis and Accommodation Problem

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Canal Water Dispute

Answer 7

• 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