In the grand tapestry of human history, language has always served as the ultimate bridge for communication and a testament to the beauty of cultural diversity. Nature divided humanity into various tribes and groups not to incite superiority or sow the seeds of hatred, but to facilitate mutual recognition and understanding. Paradoxically, the notion of “nationhood” based solely on linguistics is an unnatural and scientifically hollow theory.
A closer look reveals that dialects and accents shift within the span of a single neighbourhood or a few miles. The world-renowned playwright Bernard Shaw, during his deep observation of the English spoken in London, was astonished to find dozens of distinct dialects in the city’s suburbs, so varied that they often hindered comprehension despite being the same language.
Shaw’s research proves that language is a fluid river, changing its hues with geographical boundaries. To imprison it within the rigid chains of a specific “ethnic nationalism” is, in truth, a conspiracy against human evolution.
Regrettably, in Pakistan, linguistics has transcended the boundaries of cultural identity to give birth to the spectre of provincialism and ethnic nationalism, a monster that now stands with an open maw, ready to swallow our national unity. When language was weaponised as a political axis, it birthed a narrow-mindedness that transformed provincial borders into walls of hatred.
From the toxic seeds of linguistics sprouted a form of nationalism that acts as a predatory force, severing individuals from their soil, their brethren, and their shared history, only to imprison them in a confined and prejudiced circle.
This “monster” has hollowed out the foundations of the Federation, injecting a slow poison into the public consciousness: the false belief that prosperity lies not in the strength of Pakistan, but in pitting linguistic and provincial identities against the State. This is precisely the fissure where enemy forces find room to play their nefarious games.
Pakistan, by virtue of its pivotal geostrategic location, has perpetually remained a thorn in the side of global powers. The diverse linguistic groups inhabiting this land are the true grace of the State; however, this very diversity is being exploited through organised foreign conspiracies to weaken Pakistan.
History bears witness that nations established on the foundations of linguistics remain victims of internal instability to this day
The discord sown in the name of linguistics is no coincidence; it is a calculated component of a “Hybrid War”, with the strings pulled directly from New Delhi, Washington, and Tel Aviv.
India, having never truly reconciled with the existence of Pakistan, continues to use linguistic chauvinism as a primary weapon to fulfil the dream of “Akhand Bharat” (Undivided India). The Indian intelligence agency, RAW, sowed the seeds of hatred on linguistic grounds during the Fall of Dhaka in 1971.
Today, that same formula is being re-enacted in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav stands as living proof of how India employs the “linguistic card” to incite the people of various provinces against the Federation.
To lure a handful of misled elements with the bait of “rights”, set them against the State, and provide them with financial and military support is India’s macabre agenda to hollow out Pakistan from within.
In this heinous game, global imperialist powers are unwilling to see a nuclear-armed Muslim state remain stable. Specific imperialist think tanks have, in the past, released maps proposing the redrawing of borders in the Middle East and South Asia along linguistic and ethnic lines.
These are the dreams of a “New World Order”, for which the fracturing of Pakistan’s unity is deemed essential. India and Israel—arch-foes of Islamic unity—strive to create linguistic and provincial chaos to weaken Pakistan’s defence, ensuring that no major resistance can obstruct their regional ambitions.
Our neighbour, Afghanistan, has also frequently patronised linguistic politics since the inception of Pakistan. Whether it is the bogeyman of “Pashtunistan” or the politicisation of linguistic commonalities regarding the Durand Line, Afghan soil has consistently been used by anti-Pakistan elements.
Successive governments in Kabul, regardless of whose influence they were under, have fanned the flames of linguistic prejudice in our border regions to facilitate cross-border interference.
Similarly, from Iran, a country we call a brotherly Islamic state, activities occasionally emerge that act as fuel for the sensitive fire in Balochistan. Cross-border meddling and the “Media War” waged between linguistic groups are parts of a vast international web designed to make the provinces of Pakistan distrustful of one another.
The movements operating under the banner of linguistics in Pakistan are, more often than not, the offspring of foreign funding and organised propaganda. The enemy knows that as long as the people of Pakistan remain united under the flag of “Pakistaniness”, defeating them is impossible.
Thus, the enemy strikes with the “monster” of linguistics, provincialism, and ethnic nationalism. When a Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashtun, or Mohajir restricts their identity to language alone, they unwittingly become a tool in the hands of those who wish to tear the country apart.
History bears witness that nations established on the foundations of linguistics remain victims of internal instability to this day. A change in language does not change one’s blood, nor does it alter human relationships.
Pakistan’s survival lies solely in embracing linguistic identities as cultural heritage, while never allowing them to overshadow national identity. The machinations of foreign powers will fail only when the fishermen of Sindh, the farmers of Punjab, the proud Pashtuns of Khyber, and the resilient people of Balochistan realise that their survival is anchored in a strong Federation, not in the enemy-driven agenda of linguistic politics.
The need of the hour is to recognise the enemy’s “Divide and Rule” policy. To counter this multifaceted conspiracy against Pakistan, we must break the chains of linguistic prejudice and become a wall of solid lead.
We must remember that languages are meant for connection, not for conflict. If we do not reject these unnatural divisions and the spectre of ethnic nationalism today, history will never forgive us.
Pakistan is an eternal reality, and those who wish to erase this reality will, God willing, be erased themselves—provided we remain vigilant against the enemy’s manoeuvres and stand united.