Pakistan is currently in a very bad economic and political situation, indebted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for millions of dollars, with internal political and military stability having vanished. There is discriminatory treatment towards certain regions within the country, and the influence of major global powers in various political and economic sectors is increasing day by day. Pakistan occasionally engages in conflicts and disputes along its border with India and on the Line of Durand with Afghanistan, sometimes due to certain incidents and other times intentionally. Its nation is composed of diverse ethnicities, languages, and religions. The Pakistani Taliban are also making progress there day by day, and the political and ideological differences among internal political parties are increasing. These are all the factors that have led Pakistan to a dire political and economic situation. We will comment on a few of these issues.
The Four Provinces of Pakistan and Discriminatory Treatment: 1. Punjab Province: Its capital is Lahore, and it generally holds political power and authority. Most services are provided here compared to other provinces. The Pakistani parliament, the National Assembly, generally has 336 seats, with around 174 of them from Punjab. Therefore, Punjab is considered the center of politics and power in Pakistan. 2. The Sindh province: Its capital is the city of Karachi, and it has less political power and influence compared to Punjab. It has around 75 seats in the Pakistani parliament, and after Punjab, Sindh province receives better services. 3. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Its capital is Peshawar. It has approximately 41 million people, most of whom speak Pashto. It has around 55 seats in the Pakistani parliament. This region has little influence on Pakistan’s political power and is considered a backward province. The minerals and resources extracted from this region are utilized in Punjab. 4. Balochistan: Its capital is Quetta, it has a population of around 15 million, most of the people speak Balochi, Pashto, and Brahui languages, it has around 20 seats in the Pakistan Parliament, this region is freedom-seeking, has no political power, and faces political and economic discrimination. Pakistan extracts natural resources from this region and uses the revenue in other provinces. The literacy rate in this region is very low. Its geography is vast, but no services have been provided to this region, not even basic services.
Pakistan’s Political Discrimination Against Kashmir: Pakistan has sovereignty over 38% of Kashmir’s territory, while Jammu and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are not under Pakistan’s control. This region has a population of around 6 million, but it has no representation in Pakistan’s parliament.
The State of the Pakistan Army and the Recent Kashmir Incident: Pakistan allocates the majority of its annual budget to the army. The geography known as Pakistan is maintained not by the nation but by the army. If there were no Pakistan Army, there would be no country known as Pakistan. This is why the army receives significant attention from the government, and most of the political and military power lies in the hands of the army.
In recent times, the morale of the Pakistani army has significantly weakened, suffering heavy human and financial losses in internal conflicts. In remote areas, some soldiers do not even receive salaries or food. Troops are gradually decreasing from the army ranks, and military stability across Pakistan is weakening day by day. This is the reason why the army’s popularity among the people is declining.
The conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan is such that the Pakistani nation and army unite against India. Even if the army conducts a routine retaliatory strike against India, it is widely welcomed by the Pakistani nation. To bridge the gap between the nation and the army, the attack on tourists in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir might also be a game played by Pakistan. In response to this attack, India takes some retaliatory measures and gestures, but eventually, the issue calms down, and Pakistan achieves its political and military objectives.
America’s Attention to India and Pakistan: U.S. investment in Pakistan has decreased by tens of millions of dollars in 2024 compared to 2023, while U.S. investment in India reaches up to $60 billion. In the event of a confrontation between Pakistan and India, the U.S. supports India because India is America’s ally and economic counterpart against China in South Asia, while China supports Pakistan.
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