Posted 6th December 1970.
Following the partition of British India in 1947, Pakistan was divided into two parts, an East wing and a West wing that were separated by over 1,000 miles of Indian territory.
Following the partition of British India in 1947, Pakistan was divided into two parts, an East wing and a West wing that were separated by over 1,000 miles of Indian territory.
Although united within the Islamic faith, the people of the two wings had little else in common. The majority Bengali people of the Eastern wing were largely excluded from government and military positions. This led to a widespread feeling among the Bengalis that they were being exploited by their countrymen in the opposite wing. Profits from the thriving Jute industry were being poured into infrastructure in the West; the Bengalis saw proportionately little of the proceeds spent in their region.
East Pakistani nationalism began to gain momentum after the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war over Kashmir. The war left East Pakistanis feeling defenceless, as all of Pakistan's military efforts were being concentrated on a far-away disputed region. Although an Indian attack never came, many in the East felt the war demonstrated that the government in the West cared more about Kashmir than it did its fellow Pakistanis.
Following the war Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the Awami League (AL),
announced a 6 point plan for devolution in East Pakistan. The AL capitalised upon the growing resentment against the West. Consequently, the AL are heavy favourites to win most of the national assembly seats available to them in the East in the upcoming elections. However, they will have to win practically all of them if they are to be able to form a government without going into coalition.
Meanwhile, the most popular party in the West is the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). It is led by the hardline Zulqifur Ali Bhutto, foreign minister during the 1965 war and and a man despised in East Pakistan. Bhutto is famous for his anti-Indian views, his developing of links with China whilst in government and his dislike for the politics of Mujib, whom he sees as a traitor.
The nature of politics in Pakistan is such that the elections are likely to be extremely sectional. This means that the parties will only contest elections in the wing from which they originate, there is no party that truly represents the whole of Pakistan. This will likely cause trouble after the elections as negotiations to form a government will have to take place.
East Pakistani nationalism began to gain momentum after the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war over Kashmir. The war left East Pakistanis feeling defenceless, as all of Pakistan's military efforts were being concentrated on a far-away disputed region. Although an Indian attack never came, many in the East felt the war demonstrated that the government in the West cared more about Kashmir than it did its fellow Pakistanis.
Following the war Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the Awami League (AL),
announced a 6 point plan for devolution in East Pakistan. The AL capitalised upon the growing resentment against the West. Consequently, the AL are heavy favourites to win most of the national assembly seats available to them in the East in the upcoming elections. However, they will have to win practically all of them if they are to be able to form a government without going into coalition.
Meanwhile, the most popular party in the West is the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). It is led by the hardline Zulqifur Ali Bhutto, foreign minister during the 1965 war and and a man despised in East Pakistan. Bhutto is famous for his anti-Indian views, his developing of links with China whilst in government and his dislike for the politics of Mujib, whom he sees as a traitor.
The nature of politics in Pakistan is such that the elections are likely to be extremely sectional. This means that the parties will only contest elections in the wing from which they originate, there is no party that truly represents the whole of Pakistan. This will likely cause trouble after the elections as negotiations to form a government will have to take place.