36 years ago, on December 16, 1971, then East Pakistan became Bangladesh.
Last year Adil Najam had a very touching post on the same topic and I’ll strongly recommend a revisit to it here. Raza Rumi had also written a post after revisiting Dhaka recently.
I belong to a generation which did not see those times. My knowledge about this significant event of our history comes from the books I’ve read, things I have heard on the media and from elders, and from Pakistani and Bengali friends I’ve talked to.
A lot of water has passed under the bridges since then. Both nations have gone through a lot in these 36 tumultuous years. Whatever the past may have been – the good times and the bad – we at ATP pray for a bright future for both Pakistan and Bangladesh. We want to wish good luck to Bangladesh and its citizens for a bright future.
This December 16 is also time to seriously think about those Pakistanis who remain stranded in Bangladesh living in camps.
These are people who consider themselves Pakistanis, want to live in Pakistan, and whom we have ignored and forgotten. It is time to welcome them. If Pakistan can give refuge to millions of people from its western bordering country, we can welcome the few thousand who are our own, who remain stranded and stateless in Bangladesh, and who want to return to Pakistan.
Its time to bring them home!
One one hand we have 2 million illegal afghans and 1 million illegal bangalis in Pakistan, but bringing back half million starnded pakistanis creates all kind of ethinic and economic problems.
But i think, i has been 36 years. We should not give them false hope. Some parts of Paksistan can not toloreate these people. Bangalis should give them citizenship and should apologize them for their massacre of behari, just like Musharaf opologized Bengalis for “operation search lights”.
Those of us who cry all the time about these stranded pakistanis, should create some program and fund to help these people to settle in Bangladesh.
As for Watan Aziz, well there is a flaw in your arguement. What you said applied to migrant of another country,race or civilization. India was one country with all muslims sharing not just religion, but shared 1000 years of history. All muslims of India together struggle for Pakistan.
It is time we bring them home.
Never, in the history of voluntary migration, have the Ansars opened and welcomed the Muhajirs as it happened in Pakistan and continues today. (notwithstanding the original event, for which there is also no comparison).
Cite me one example in history of mankind where the voluntary migrants got equal treatment for jobs and property, etc. by mere show of papers.
Cite me one example, where they became Prime Ministers, Governor Generals, Presidents, Ministers, Secretaries of Departments and ranked Officers of the Armed Services on mere arrival. Even as we speak!
Pakistan is a land of opportunity and gratitude as well of ungrateful people, both muhajir and ansar.
Pakistan Zindabad
Pakistan Pa’indabad
Dear Stranded Pakistani. I can only imagine the pangs of strandedness and like just about everyone else here I agree fully with the sentiments of original post. Irrespective of who is or is not a better Pakistani, we as a national have a duty and responsibility to bring all those stranded Pakistanis who consider themselves Pakistani back home. Their strandedness is a national disgrace and should be remedied. That is what the post was about also.
Having said this, I am a little surprised at how you start your comment. It seems to me that all except one comment above sympathize with the stranded Pakistanis and agree that those who want to return to Pakistan should be allowed to and assisted in returning.