Pakistan’s Ethnic Fault Line

Key to keeping Pakistan stable is understanding its ethnic conflicts.

The Pakistani army is composed mostly of Punjabis. The Taliban is entirely Pashtun. For centuries, Pashtuns living in the mountainous borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan have fought to keep out invading Punjabi plainsmen. So sending Punjabi soldiers into Pashtun territory to fight jihadists pushes the country ever closer to an ethnically defined civil war, strengthening Pashtun sentiment for an independent "Pashtunistan" that would embrace 41 million ... Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Review

Fabrice Florin
3.9
by Fabrice Florin - May. 11, 2009

Thoughtful opinion on the ethnic conflict in Pakistan, from the former Washington Post bureau chief in South Asia. The author provides useful context about the historical tensions between Pashtuns in the mountains and the Punjabi plainsmen who now control the Pakistani government. He also points out that the Pakistani army is composed mostly of Punjabis, while the Taliban is entirely Pashtun. He then suggests ways the U.S. could address the Pashtun desire for greater participation the Punjabi-dominated government in Islamabad. Concise, informative and insightful analysis.

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