Initial Problems of Pakistan

Pakistan was carved out in desperate urgency. It came into existence with horrible loss of life
and property, and the migration of millions of dazed and destitute men, women, and children.
The cost was heavy in terms of human suffering. But what the Muslims wanted and what they
achieved was a homeland of their own. They now had the freedom to worship, practice their
religious faith and develop their culture. Moreover, independence had opened up a bright future
for the Muslims, who hoped for a better standard of living, economic development, prosperity
and a fuller life. But it seemed in those early years (1947-58) that the immense sacrifices might
have been in vain for Pakistan had been struggling from one major crisis to another, fighting to
ward off the multiple problems that threatened the nation.

Pakistan came into being on 14th august 1947. Soon after its establishment Pakistan faced
number of problems. Most of the problems of Pakistan were related with Pakistan’s dispute with
India, such as the accession of the princely states, canal Water dispute, refugees' problems and
distribution of armed and military assets. In fact most of these problems were deliberately
created by India itself so that Pakistan would not maintain its independent status and soon
merged with India. (Nehru told General Sir Frank Messervy in 1945, “his deliberate plan would
be to allow Jinnah to have his Pakistan, end gradually makes things so impossible economically
and otherwise for Pakistan that they have to come on their banded knees and asked to be allowed
back to India. Following are initial problems of Pakistan

1. Communal Riots and Settlement of Refugees

2. Establishment of Government Offices and choosing city for Capital

3. Redcliff Award and Boundary Disputes

4. Division of Economic and Military Assets

5. Economic Problems in Newly Born State

6. Issue of National Language

7. Industrial and Agricultural backwardness

8. Accession of Princely States

9. Kashmir Dispute
 10. Water Dispute

11. Constitutional Problem

Communal Riots and Settlement of Refugees

The partition of India was accompanied by widespread riots throughout the subcontinent. Since
the boundary awards had been delayed, riots were most rampant in the Punjab. The riots were
started by Sikhs and Rashtriyaswan Sevak Sangh (RSS), the militant Hindu organization, and
were followed by a Muslim reprisal which was also swift and brutal. There was widespread
murder, rape and arson on both sides. Partition has resulted in the largest human migration in
recorded history. According to Pakistani estimates, approximately, 6500000 Muslim reached
Pakistan from India; 5200000 came from the east Punjab, including the princely states where
migration was severe. About 500,000 lost their lives or were abducted. From Pakistan there was
an exodus of about 5,500,000 Hindus and Sikhs. According to Richard Symonds, the population
of Pakistan increased about 100,000 people.

In the face of unspeakable atrocities, writers from all the three communities, Hindu, Muslims and
Sikhs, led by Krishan Chandar, Sa’adat Hasan Manto and Rajinder Singh Bedi rose to the
occasion and most impartially showed that the riots were crimes not against bullets, but these
writers provided the bridge to mental reconciliation and normalcy. At first, numbers proved
deceptive. Inevitably as news of atrocities spread in Karachi, there was rioting against the
Hindus. On 9 January 1948, Quaid-i-Azam warned the Muslim refugees ‘not to abuse hospitality
that was been extended to them.

Establishment of Government Offices and city for Capital

On independence, Pakistan was without any infrastructure to set up a new state. It had neither of
the two capital cities, Calcutta or New Delhi, developed by the British in India. It established its
capital at Karachi, which had become a provincial capital only ten years previously. It has no
office buildings, furniture or stationary whereby the administrative machinery for the seat of a
government could be setup. People sat under trees, bringing furniture from where they resided,
and government started functioning. Even Lord Mountbatten, then the governor general of India,
described Karachi as as a “tent” compared to the splendor of New Delhi. Apart from the practical
difficulty of setting up government machinery, there was the political difficulty that the
provincial government of Sindh represented the separation of Karachi from the province. The
Sindh Muslim league began to function as an opposition party. The cash strapped government of
Pakistan promised financial compensation, but the provincial did not consider the amount
adequate. Quaid-e-Azam took the office of the Governor General and Liaquat Ali Khan was
appointed as Prime Minister and a Cabinet of experienced persons was selected.

Redcliff Award and Boundary Disputes

It had been agreed between Jinnah and Nehru that a Boundary Commission should be setup to
define the borders between India and Pakistan. The British Government immediately appointed a
Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril Radcliffe to demarcate permanent borders. The
boundaries had to be defined as such that provinces, districts, and villages that were
predominantly Muslim went to Pakistan, while Hindu majority areas went to India. Provinces
like Baluchistan, Sindh, N. W. F. P. and East Bengal provided little difficulty. But deep problems
arose when boundaries in Punjab had to be fixed; there were also a substantial number of Hindus
and Sikhs residing in this region, other than the Muslims. However, the province was partitioned.
When the boundaries were drawn between India and Pakistan, it resulted in many tragic events.
In an almost frantic, cruel rush, the commission divided districts, villages, farmlands, water and
property. Thousands of innocent men, women and children were caught unaware. The result was
that many hastened across the border, leaving their homes, land and personal property to seek
refuge. Panic, fear, revenge and reprisals followed. Both India and Pakistan were soaked in
blood. It left on Pakistan’s doorstep, seven million refugees who had to be rehabilitated, clothed,
fed and sheltered. Sir Cyril Redcliff misused his powers and handed over Muslims majority areas
like Gurdaspur, Ferozpur and Junagadh to India hence providing them a gateway to Kashmir.
Quaid-e-Azam called “it an unjust, incomprehensible and even perverse award.”

Division of Economic and Military Assets

It was announced on July I, 1947 that Indian army would also be divided in ratio 65 to 35 in
India's favor it was with reference of the communal balance present in the British Indian Army.
Pakistan received nothing but scrap and out of order machines, broken weapons, unserviceable
artillery and aircraft. There were 16 ordnance factories and all were located in India. Pakistan
was given 60 million rupees towards its share in the ordnance factories. Pakistan did not receive
the due share of the military assets till now. This dishonest attitude put Pakistan into great
difficulties.

At the time of division there was cash balance of 4 billion rupees in the reserve Bank of India
which was to be divided between India and Pakistan in the ratio of 17 to India and 5 to Pakistan.
Pakistan was to receive 750 million rupees, which was in initially delayed by the Indian
Government. After the protest of Pakistan, India agreed to pay 200 million rupees while Rupees
550 million were to be paid immediately. But this amount was withheld on the plea that Pakistan
would use it in the war going on in Kashmir. As the war between India and Pakistan had started
on the issue of Kashmir India again stopped the rest of the amount. However the remaining 50
million rupees were not paid. Sardar Patel threatened that the implementation of the agreement
would depend upon the settlement of the Kashmir issue. But, it was upon Gandhi’s request that
the Reserved Bank of India paid Pakistan Rupees 500 million, retaining the balance of Rupees 50
million to adjust some trumped up claim against Pakistan. The money was Pakistan's rightful
share. India deliberately withholds it because they hoped that Pakistan would become bankrupt.

Economic Problems in Newly Born State

When Pakistan came into existence, it mostly consisted of economically backward and under
developed areas. The agricultural system was obsolete and outdated which added to the
economic backwardness of the areas forming part of Pakistan. The entire capital was in the hands
of the Hindus. Unfortunately, the banks and other financial institutions were located in Indian
territory. Besides these factors the technical experts and laborers, who operated the industries,
were all Hindus because the Muslims extremely lagged behind in education and financial
capabilities. Due to transfer of Muslim majority areas to Bharat and unfair demarcation,
electricity system of West Punjab was disrupted, because all power stations were at Mundi, a
predominantly Muslim majority area, gifted to Bharat but Quaid-e-Azam said: “If we are to exist
as a nation ,we will have to face the problems with determination and force.”

Pakistan's economy was indeed very weak at the time. It was too dependent on agriculture,
which contributed 60 per cent of its income. The savings rate was as low as 5 per cent of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is very low. GDP means the total value of the goods and
services produced by the country in one year. To take an example, suppose a country produces
100 tons of bananas which sell for Rs 50,000 a ton, the income from the domestic product,
bananas, is Rs 50 million in a year. The country also offers tourism, which fetches Rs 20 million
a year. Tourism is a service and like bananas it is also a 'product' since it is marketed by the
people of the country. The GDP of this country is then, Rs 70 million.

The financial system was very basic and at Independence, Pakistan had no central bank. A
central bank is required to control a country's money supply, which helps in determining the
buying power of money. A Central Bank fixes monetary policy which includes the rate of
interest. `his helps people in calculating the risks and gains of their ventures. A central bank is
also -squired to regulate other, mostly private banks. A central bank is subject to political
control. Therefore, under these hostile circumstances it was even more necessary for Pakistan to
set up its own central bank which could issue its own currency notes if its economic
independence was -a be upheld. This was the reason why the Quaid-i-Azam, despite his severe
illness, travelled from Ziarat to Karachi to open the State Bank of Pakistan on 1 July 1948.

In the agriculture sector, the land tenure system and the low level of agricultural technology was
responsible for low productivity. The only redeeming feature was that Pakistan had inherited a
well-developed irrigation system. Industries were inadequate, rather informal, and at that time
could not be optimally utilised because of riots and mass-migration. There was a small nucleus
of industrial units around Lahore; diesel engines were being manufactured, electric fans were
produced and the machine tool factories had actually started exports in 1942. The Darra Khel
arms factory, although efficient, was considered to be outside the formal sector of the economy.
The withholdings of military assets by India had raised disappointment to a level that even these
available resources were not visible, even during the Kashmir war. Pakistan survived, as Richard
Symonds has observed, because the harvest in 1947 was good, and there were sufficient peasants
to harvest it. The two initial years involved the management of the economy on a daily basis and
there was no real development except for the establishment of the State Bank during the Quaid-i-
Azam lifetime.

In those early years, industrialization was seen as the only road to progress, therefore Liaquat Ali
Khan set up two corporations in the public sector, one for heavy and one for light industries.
Under these corporations the government would provide financing to an extent not forthcoming
from the private sector. As a priority it planned to set up three jute mills in East Bengal. This
need can be understood when we recall that it had a large crop of jute fibre but no mill at all to
process it. There were a few cotton mills in the western wing, but hardly in proportion to the size
of the cotton crop in Sindh and Punjab. However, once the economy stabilized there was
progress. All governments gave priority to development. GNP increased on an average by 5 per
cent a year. Undeniably there have been setbacks, there have been lapses, but Pakistan survived
not only the partition of the Punjab in 1947 but also the loss of East Pakistan in 1971.

Issue of National Language

After the establishment of Pakistan language controversy was started between East and West
Pakistan. The members of the Constituent Assembly belonged to East Pakistan demanded that
along with Urdu, Bengali should also be made national language of Pakistan. In March 1948
while addressing at Dhaka, Quaid-e-Azam declared, “Urdu and Urdu alone would be the national
language of Pakistan."

Accession of Princely States

Prior to partition, there existed in British India many semi-autonomous Princely states whose
future had to be settled before Britain withdrew from India. There were some 560 such states all
over the Sub-continent. About 500 fell within Indian territory and Pakistan. On July 25, 1947,
Lord Louis Mountbatten (the last Viceroy of India) in his address to the Chamber of Princes
advised them that in deciding the question of accession, they should take into consideration
communal composition and the geographical location of their states. Nearly all the states
accepted the reality of the situation and opted either for Pakistan or India accordingly. But there
were four states, Junagadh, Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Kashmir, which defied the principle of
partition.

I. Junagadh: The ruler of Junagadh was a Muslim but 80 percent of his subjects were Hindus. On
September 15, 1947, the Nawab acceded to Pakistan, despite the fact that his state did not fall
within the geographical grouping of Pakistan. India protested, stormed in her troops, and forcibly
reversed the Nawab’s decision and Junagadh became a part of India.

II. Hyderabad: Hyderabad, the second of the defiant states was the largest and richest in India. Its
population was 85 percent Hindu but the ruler (Nizam) was a Muslim. He was reluctant to
accede either to India or Pakistan but was dismissed by Mountbatten for adopting this course.
The Nizam was forced by the Indian government and Lord Mountbatten to join India. A
standstill agreement was concluded between India and Hyderabad. The Hindu subjects were
incited to revolt against the Nizam’s desire to be independent. The whole province suffered
turmoil and violence. Hyderabad filed a complaint with the Security Council of the United
Nations. Before the hearing could be started, Indian troops entered Hyderabad to “restore order”,
and under the pretext of “police action” Hyderabad was forced to join India. The Hyderabad
army surrendered on September 17, 1948, and finally Hyderabad was annexed into the Indian
Union.

III. Jodhpur: Yet another prince, the Maharaja of Jodhpur, expressed a wish to join Pakistan but
Mountbatten warned him that his subjects were mostly Hindus and his accession to Pakistan
would create problems. As a result Jodhpur, too, acceded to India.

Kashmir dispute

Kashmir issue had its origin in the Radcliffe Awards. The award of Gurdaspur to India was
responsible for giving Indian access to Kashmir as the award of Ferozpur and Zira to India
resulted in the Canal Waters dispute. All three were Muslim majority districts, and were given to
India for a purpose. Kashmir dispute is the most important and unsolved problem. Kashmir is the
natural part of Pakistan because at the time of partition 85% of the Kashmir’s total population
was Muslim. Hindu Dogra ruler, who was secretly with the Government of India, declared
Kashmir as a part of India. The Government of India made the plea that it entered Kashmir
because the Maharaja had signed an Instrument of Accession to India. The Instrument of
Accession has never surfaced and Alastair Lamb has proved that it was never signed. Nehru
promised the people of Kashmir and the whole world that the fate of Kashmir would not be
decided by the accession, but by a free and impartial plebiscite of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir. India has since reneged on this promise and this is one of two issues which still beset
Pakistan-India relations. Pakistan has continuously insisted that Kashmir must get their right of
self-determination but due to non- cooperation of India, Kashmir issue still remain unsolved.

Water Dispute

The boundary of India and Pakistan was located in the way that it cut across the rivers and canal
making India the upper beneficiary and Pakistan the lower beneficiary. Most of the rivers
flowing in Pakistan have their origin in India. The British had developed the upper Indus basin as
an integrated unit having a vast irrigation network. The Radcliffe Award gave India the Ferozpur
Headworks that controlled the Sutlej River as well as the Madopur Headworks controlling the
River Ravi. An Arbitral Tribunal was set up under Sir Patrick Spens, which recommended that
the flow of water to Pakistan should not be stopped. Immediately after the Tribunal was wound
up in April 1948, the Indian Government actually cut off the flow of water to Pakistan. Since this
was in breach of international law which holds that an upper riparian country cannot interfere
with the existing irrigation of the lower riparian country, the supply was partially restored. This
long standing dispute was apparently resolved in 1960 when Nehru came to Karachi to sign an
agreement with President Ayub and Eugene Black, Vice-President of the World Bank. India is
continuing with its Baglihar project despite Pakistan's protests and this threatens to upset the
Indus Basin Treaty of 1960. The World Bank has been asked to arbitrate between India and
Pakistan and has prepared a report which awaits consideration. This treaty is commonly known
as the “Indus Water Treaty”. The treaty allowed for a transitional period of 10 to 13 years, after
which the three eastern rivers would fall exclusively to India’s share and the three western rivers
to Pakistan. During the transitional period, Pakistan would construct a system of replacement
works consisting of two dams, five barrages and seven link canals financed by the Indus
Development Fund.

Constitutional Problems

At the time of establishment of Pakistan the Government of India Act 1935 became the working
constitution of Pakistan with certain adoptions. The need of a constitution framed by the elected
representatives of the people was necessary for free people. So the first constituent assembly was
formed and was given the task to frame the constitution for the country. But the constituent
assembly failed to frame a constitution even in eight years. Lack of a permanent constitution
created chances of corrupt interference in democratic progress of Pakistan. Pakistan came into
being as a free Muslim state in quite unfavorable circumstances, it had no resources, it had to
build up its administrative machinery from a scratch. But Supreme efforts were made by the
Quaid-e-Azam and his colleagues to grapple with the situation. His golden principles "Unity "
"Faith" and "Discipline" gave way to Pakistan for a bright future of a strong and well developed
country .In his last message to the nation on 14th August 1948, he told the nation: "The
foundation of your state have been laid and it is now for you to build and build as quickly and as
you can." Quaid-e-Azam was addressing the historic public meeting at Lahore, he said: “It is
now up to you to work, work and work and we are bound to succeed. And never forget our motto
Unity, Discipline and faith.”