Author Description

"Pakistan was created on the basis of religion rather than ethnicity. The view of its founders was that Islamic values and identity would overshadow and subsume all differences, including those based on ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. The reality turned out to be very different. The authors argue that the failure to acknowledge ethnic minorities resulted in these groups receiving inadequate constitutional and legal protection. Nor has the situation improved since independence; none of the political actions taken to address the minority issue has led to creation of a matching legal framework. Among the resulting ethnic problems have been the secession of East Pakistan (Bangladesh), insurgency in Baluchistan and tensions in the Northern Areas, North-West Frontier Province and Sindh. Despite the fundamental importance of the issue to the whole idea of a Pakistani nation-state, little information is available to scholars or lawyers on the subject. This deficiency the authors address with extensive coverage of the ethnic situation, an analysis of landmark cases dealt with by the superior judiciary in Pakistan, a detailed and up-to-date survey of constitutional and legal developments, and a rich bibliography. The authors also make a number of recommendations which would satisfy the demands of Pakistan's indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities without compromising the sovereignty of the state."--Back cover.