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Between Independence and Autonomy: The Changing Landscape of Ethno-nationalist Movements in Pakistan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2021

Rafiullah Khan Open the ORCID record for Rafiullah Khan [Opens in a new window]
Rafiullah Khan*
Affiliation:
Qauid I Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
*
Email: rafiphilocalist@gmail.com
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Abstract

Since its inception, Pakistan has faced challenges of ethnic-nationalism from her ethnicities. State efforts to mold these diverse identities into one communal Muslim identity have been continually resisted by the different nationalities comprising Pakistan. The demands of ethno-national movements have fluctuated between independence and autonomy, depending upon the relation between the state and the respective ethnic group. Sometimes the demand for autonomy has expanded into a desire for independence, as was the case with Bengali ethnic nationalism. At other times, the desire for independence has shrunk to a demand for autonomy, as manifested by Pashtun nationalism. This shift is explicated through the relationship between the state and ethnic groups. The author analyzes this shift through the prism of Paul Brass’s instrumental theory of elite competition. The factors that contributed to the success of Bengali nationalism in achieving statehood and the failure of Baloch nationalism to do so are viewed through Ted Gurr’s concept of relative deprivation. The integration of Sindhi and Pashtun ethnic groups into the state structure is explained via Andreas Wimmer’s notion of ownership of the state.

Keywords

ethnic nationalismPakistanelite competitionrelative deprivationautonomyindependence
Type
Analysis of Current Events
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 50 , Issue 4 , July 2022 , pp. 643 - 660
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Association for the Study of Nationalities

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