Pulp Fiction

The battle for equality and recognition by an ethnic group is an old and recurring phenomenon. If this struggle gathers momentum, it develops into an ethnic conflict. Since the emergence of Pakistan on world's map, the country has had ethnic and linguistic differences among its people. Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Seraikis and Chitralis are the main ethnic groups of Pakistan. Different ethnic groups can reside in one nation peacefully if there is less discrimination and despising, but if the struggle to win ethnic rights is constantly hampered, it transforms into a movement for an independent nation. In a country like Pakistan, where economical and political instability prevails, ethnical differences augment with a ferocious pace and the consequences can be dreadful, thus preventing measures must always be taken to reduce these conflicts. History concurs with this notion as ethnic differences comprising of economical and military disparities and language controversy lead to a war in 1971 between East and West Pakistan. It resulted in separation of East Pakistan which became Bangladesh.

Not only do ethnic conflicts weaken a nation's unity and dwindles the growth of economic and social variables that determine a country's prosperity, but history bears, they result in wars and cold-wars such as Vietnam War, French War, Revolutionary War and Indian War. Statistics indicate that crimes such as Genocides become frequent due to ethnic conflicts and crime rate expands briskly with the emergence of ethnic differences. In recent times, the target killings in Karachi and Baluchistan have all taken place due to ethnic, linguistic and politial differences. The Urdu-speaking Muhajirs and Pashto-speaking Pathans of Karachi turned into adversaries which led to brutal mass murders.

The main purpose of this research is to study the dynamics of ethnic divisions in Pakistan, root causes of ethnical differences, causes of development of these ethnical differences into ethnical conflicts, effects and consequences of ethnic divisions and differences, and finds the solution to minimize the ethnic differences.

This research would cover all the current major ethnic conflicts in Pakistan such as Muhajir-Pathan conflict, Movement of independence of Baluchistan, Movements of Bhawalpur, Hazara, and Saraiki Provinces and the time frame of our research is between January, 2005 and October, 2011.