Early Problems of Pakistan

Geographical Problems
Economic Problems
Political Problems
Social problems
Refugees crisis
Canal water dispute
Accession of princely states
Division of Assets
Introduction:
 On 15th August, 1947 Quaid Azam sworn in as 1st Governor General. He
declared, “Pakistan has come to exist forever”
 But soon after independence, Pakistan was being confronted by multiple
problems. Indian leaders had not accepted division of India. Some
announced that Pakistan would not survive. Others said that Pakistan would
soon fall into the lap of mother India
 One historian opined, Most of the leaders of congress subscribed to the
view that Pakistan was not a viable state- politically, economically,
geographically or militarily-and that sooner or later the areas which had
ceded would be compelled by force or by circumstances to return to the
fold.
 Such were the challenges for Quaid e Azam to establish the new country and
hold it together.
Geographical problems:
• The country had no natural barriers like rivers, mountains or seas
• The two parts- East and West Pakistan- were separated by thousand miles
Indian territory
• Difficult to administer the two wings
• Durand line dispute with Afghanistan. Afghanistan did not recognize
Pakistan
• Pakistan was sandwiched between India and Afghanistan
Political Problems:
• Members of the constituent Assembly were landowners with little political
experience
• Muslim league had little support in urban areas
• Geographical distance between the two wings created political lacunas
• Lack of experience and seasoned bureaucrats
• Lack of government machinery
• Pakhtunistan issue
Economic problems:
• Most of the regions that constituted Pakistan were underdeveloped
• Except Karachi, there was no trading hub
• Most of the regions were on the borders of India with little or no
industrialsation
• Most of the industries were in central India
• Agriculture sector was not developed either
• Only source of foreign exchange was jute
• All these led to unemployment, inflation, shortage of essential items etc.
 Social problems:
• Ethnic issues: Bengalis, Balochs, Pashtuns, Punjabis and Sindhis
• Minority issues
• Language issues
• Identity crisis
• Religious issues
The Accession of Princely States
• 562 princely states
• Instrument of Accession: Muslim majority acceded to Pakistan; Hindu
majority accede to Pakistan
• Dir, Swat,Chitral, Amb, Hunza, Bahawalpur, Kalat etc. acceded to Pakistan
• Certain states created problems
• Hyderabad:
• Non Muslim majority but ruled by a Muslim. He wanted to join Pakistan.
But he was pressurized to join India. Indian troops entered Hyderabad,
dismantled the state and incorporated it into India
Continued…
• Junagadh:
• It was a small state on the coast, 300 miles of Karachi. Non Muslims
majority but ruler was Muslim. In1947, he announced that the state would
join Pakistan. Lord Mountbatten said, “it was an encroachment on Indian
sovereignty and territory”.
• Indian government sent troops and annexed the state. Pakistan protested at
the UN but in vain.
Continued….
The state of Jammu and Kashmir:
• One of the most severe problems being faced by Pakistan
• Strategically one of the most important states in the Indian Subcontinent
• Muslim majority state, but the maharaja- Hari Singh- was Hindu. When he
decided to join India, Muslims rebelled against him. Many Muslims fled to
Pakistan. To help Muslim brethren in Kashmir, tribal people entered
Kashmir. Hari Singh sought Indian help. Indian troops entered Kashmir. But,
Pakistani commander-in-chief-refused to obey Quid e Azam order and did
not send troops to Kashmir. Tribal people, however, fought valiantly and
liberated 1/3rd of the state called Azad Kashmir.
Division of Financial and Military Assets
• Financial assets:
• At the time of division there was cash balance of 4 billion rupees in the
reserve Bank of India
• Pakistan was to get 750 million however after protest of Pakistan, India
agreed to pay 200 million rupees.
• As the war between India and Pakistan had started on the issue of Kashmir
India again stopped the rest of the amount by saying that Pakistan could use
it to buy arms.
• After protest from Pakistan and the threat of hunger strike by Gandhi,
Nehru was forced to pay another 500 million rupees.
• However the remaining 50 million rupees are still not paid.
Continued…
• Military assets:
• It was announced on July I, 1947 that Indian army assets would also be
divided in ratio 65 to 35 in India's favor.
• Field Martial Auchinleck was appointed as in charge of the distribution of
military assets. Whatever Pakistan received was nothing but scrap and out of
order machines, broken weapons, unserviceable artillery and aircraft.
• Pakistan received six Armour divisions to India's fourteen, eight artillery
divisions to India's forty and eight infantry divisions to India's twenty one.
• Pakistan also received Staff College in Quetta and Service Corps College at
Kakul, which latter became the Pakistan military Academy.
Water dispute:
• It had its origin in Radcliff Award which drew the boundary between India
and Pakistan in way that it cut across the rivers and canal making India the
upper beneficiary and Pakistan the lower beneficiary,
• It also handed control over two important head works over river Ravi
(Madhupure Head works) and Sutlej (Ferozpure Head works) to India. India
proved it by stopping the flow of water in March 1948.
• Dispute was finally settled when an agreement called Indus Basin treaty.
• The treaty was signed between Ayub Khan the president of Pakistan and
Nehru the Indian Prime Minister on September 19, 1960.
• According to that agreement India was allocated the use of two Eastern
Rivers namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas whereas three western Rivers Indus,
Jehlum and Chennab were given to Pakistan. To overcome the shortage of
water World Bank, and other friendly countries provided Pakistan financial
assistance to construct two dams, five barrages and seven link canals.
Refugees crisis
o Hindus were angry over the division of the Subcontinent whereas Sikhs
were unhappy over the loss of their religious places. Sikhs and Hindu armed
with deadly weapons slaughter the man woman and even the small children.
o Due to the communal violence millions of Indian Muslims leaving their
property started migrating towards Pakistan. Apart from communal violence
another reason for the migration of Muslims was their desire to live in a
newly established Islamic state.
o The arrival of refugees created problem for both countries but the issue was
more serious in the nascent state of Pakistan that was already facing multiple
problems. It was estimated that only West Pakistani received 5.5 million
refugees. It caused economic and administrative problems, as Pakistan did
not have sufficient resources to provide food, shelter and medical aid to the
growing number of refugees.
o Quaid-e-Azam moved his headquarter to Lahore to give special attention to
this problem.
Thanks for your patience