MMA govt proposes new name for NWFP

[Neo]

It is a fact that when Ch. Rahmat Ali thought up the name Pakistan in 1920's. He made it up by:

P from Punjab

A from Afghans ( Pathaans)

K from Kashmir

Istan from Sindh and Balochistan.

On this basis the name Afghania has some merit.

Sir,

That was a different time and era, Imho the 'A' for Afghanis was only added into the name due fact that the Frontier Province at that time part of British Raj under the Durand Line Agreement with Kabul and many Afghanis resided in that region.

I'm a pathan and I refuse to associated with anything like 'Afghan', I'm born as a Pakistani and I'll die as a proud Pakistani.

 

[roadrunner]

i think it doesn't bother me, though i see everyone being a bit critical of it. If one is a Pathan, one is also a Pashtun or a Pakhtun, depending on which side of the border one is from. Now Afghan is also a historical term used to describe the Pashtun ethnic group. In many ways it's a fair name, Balochistan is named after the Baloch ethnic group, Sindh, after the Sindhis and Punjab for the Punjabi ethnic group. So why not Afghania after the Afghan ethnic group? This would be a continuation of the naming of other provinces. I suppose one could call it Pakhtia, but then this already exists in Afghanistan and there'd be the same argument. By naming it Afghania, I think the nationalists win and the other people too. Now the people are Pakistanis from the province of Afghania! No division in my opinion, screw what Afghanistan does, the claim of Afghanistan for the NWFP will not be made any stronger by a name change to Afghania. Has the stealing of the name "India" managed to change historical fact? No, those who want to know, still know the derivation of this name is from Pakistan, just as the Pashtuns will be able to claim they're Pakistani, and those that want to be Afghan can claim they're Afghania! Win win from my tinted glasses. I find it pretty ironic anyway that a non Afghan government (Tajiks and Uzbeks arent of the Afghan ethnic group) could even claim a province named Afghania. It's not going to change the ownership of the NWFp, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Chrome9]

i think it doesn't bother me, though i see everyone being a bit critical of it. If one is a Pathan, one is also a Pashtun or a Pakhtun, depending on which side of the border one is from. Now Afghan is also a historical term used to describe the Pashtun ethnic group. In many ways it's a fair name, Balochistan is named after the Baloch ethnic group, Sindh, after the Sindhis and Punjab for the Punjabi ethnic group. So why not Afghania after the Afghan ethnic group? This would be a continuation of the naming of other provinces. I suppose one could call it Pakhtia, but then this already exists in Afghanistan and there'd be the same argument. By naming it Afghania, I think the nationalists win and the other people too. Now the people are Pakistanis from the province of Afghania! No division in my opinion, screw what Afghanistan does, the claim of Afghanistan for the NWFP will not be made any stronger by a name change to Afghania. Has the stealing of the name "India" managed to change historical fact? No, those who want to know, still know the derivation of this name is from Pakistan, just as the Pashtuns will be able to claim they're Pakistani, and those that want to be Afghan can claim they're Afghania! Win win from my tinted glasses. I find it pretty ironic anyway that a non Afghan government (Tajiks and Uzbeks arent of the Afghan ethnic group) could even claim a province named Afghania. It's not going to change the ownership of the NWFp, so it doesn't matter.

Though I do agree with you to a certain extent that most probably a name change won't cause much harm, I do think this name change at this particular time has the possibility to destabalise and poke at a hornets nest. I mean ok there is legitimate grounds to name change, but why now? the country has far more pressing issues to deal with and MMA as a significant political party should be more considerate and responsible at this time don't you think? The name change and the timing and every thing about it is too fishy if you ask me.
Name change? fine.. but theres lots of time to that later...

 

[Awaaz]

All this criticism of the name change by various members is extreme in my opinion, i think wethere there should be a name change and what it should be changed to, should be left with the people of nwfp apart from them no other group has any right to say this is good or that is good.

If the name is changed to afghania i dont think its going to make people feel different from rest of pakistanis, look at punjab you have one in india does that mean pakistani punjabis feel indian or indian punjabis feel pakistani?.

Change is always welcomed, changing the name is not going to split the country but bickering and not allowing the native people of the region autonomy will. I am a pushtoon, i dont call my self a pathan because its a corrupt word a non puhsto word, but at the same time i feel loyal to pakistan, we have our differences and if indians readers are getting happy over that, let me make something clear we will always put those differences aside to f you guys up.

 

[Awesome]

Who is an Afghan anyway? Pashtun? Hazara? Tajik?

Afghan itself is amiguous, applying it to a Pakistani territory would be moronic. I would like to suggest Pathanistan .

 

[Awesome]

I agree, true democracy is to allow you to choose whatever name you want it to be. But the criticism should make it amply clear what negative reservations we have with THAT choice of a name.

 

[Ababeel]

Provincial govt suggests Afghania as new name for NWFP

* Law minister says renaming needs amendment to Constitution

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: NWFP Law Minister Malik Zafar Azam said on Tuesday that most members of a committee formed by the provincial government had suggested “Afghania” as the new name for the North West Frontier Province.

“The committee has sent its recommendation to Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani for consideration in the upcoming meeting of the inter-provincial coordination committee,” Azam told Daily Times. “Renaming of the NWFP as Afghania requires an amendment to the Constitution through the federal government since the province’s name has been written as NWFP in the Constitution,” the minister said. “It is important to give the province a proper identity. The province has lacked a proper name since 1947 and the new name will resolve the issue.”

The committee members include NWFP opposition leader Shahzada Gustasip Khan, Environment Minister Shahraz Khan, Mian Nadir Shah of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani of the Pakistan Muslim League, Naeema Kishwar of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Syed Murid Kazim of the Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao, and Qurban Ali Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party.

The Awami National Party’s Bashir Bilour had been included in the committee, but he pulled out, saying there was no need for deliberations since the NWFP Assembly had already passed a resolution demanding the province’s renaming as ‘Pakhtunkhwa’. He said that his nationalist party would not participate in the committee’s activities.

However, ANP NWFP President Afrasyab Khattak told Daily Times that the party did not oppose ‘Afghania’ as the new name of the province. “It is not a new thing ... the provincial assembly proposed several names for the province in the last five years but the federal government rejected them. For the first time the ANP has agreed to a name other than Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

The ANP and other nationalist parties have asked successive governments to rename the province Pakhtunkhwa, but pro-centre parties, mainly the Pakistan Muslim League, opposed the name saying other ethnic groups may feel left out. The chief minister formed a committee a few months ago to decide whether the NWFP should be renamed Pakhtunkhwa or any other name. Some of the names proposed for the province include Pakhtunkhwa, Pakhtunistan, Abaseen, Afghania and Khyber. The ANP-led nationalist parties are in favour of Pakhtunkhwa, while the smaller parties prefer Afghania – a name chosen by the late Chaudhry Rahmat Ali for the NWFP when he coined the word Pakistan as the name of the new Islamic state.

Don't accuse the MMA, its an unanimous decision and includes the friend and supporters of Musharraf.

 

[Awaaz]

Though I do agree with you to a certain extent that most probably a name change won't cause much harm, I do think this name change at this particular time has the possibility to destabalise and poke at a hornets nest. I mean ok there is legitimate grounds to name change, but why now? the country has far more pressing issues to deal with and MMA as a significant political party should be more considerate and responsible at this time don't you think? The name change and the timing and every thing about it is too fishy if you ask me.
Name change? fine.. but theres lots of time to that later...

why wait for tomorow when you can do it today, i think they should change the name to any appropriate one chosen by the nwfp public and not any other group. More autonomy for province of nwfp where prosperity and development can increase, and mass poverty can be eliminated.

As far as feeling a pakistani, i dont think anyone in nwfp feels pakistani, you may differ but its true speak to people in rural areas as well as most major cities, one of the reasons for this is the ignorance of other pakistani groups, as pathan people are labelled afghanis and not pakistanis by the public. in my time in jehlum people called me afghani when i am from sarhad, in their mentality a pakistani is he who speaks punjabi and urdu.

This makes the people of nwfp feel as outsiders and therefore are not patriotic or passionate about pakistan.

Other issue is that lack of recognition of pathan people and leaders, i was reading some articles here posted by democrat pak, very extreme in my opinion, but they did higlight some truth, where balouch and people of nwfp have been neglected and for years and years, his comments about quaid e azam were extreme but absoultely right, though i belive he could have expressed them without insulting the man.

Can we please stop forcing the ideology of quaid e azam and allama iqbal on people as i feel its wrong, that creates an atmosphere where other ethnic groups feel that their leaders are not remembered for their hard work.

 

[Ababeel]

Provincial govt suggests Afghania as new name for NWFP

* Law minister says renaming needs amendment to Constitution

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: NWFP Law Minister Malik Zafar Azam said on Tuesday that most members of a committee formed by the provincial government had suggested “Afghania” as the new name for the North West Frontier Province.

“The committee has sent its recommendation to Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani for consideration in the upcoming meeting of the inter-provincial coordination committee,” Azam told Daily Times. “Renaming of the NWFP as Afghania requires an amendment to the Constitution through the federal government since the province’s name has been written as NWFP in the Constitution,” the minister said. “It is important to give the province a proper identity. The province has lacked a proper name since 1947 and the new name will resolve the issue.”

The committee members include NWFP opposition leader Shahzada Gustasip Khan, Environment Minister Shahraz Khan, Mian Nadir Shah of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani of the Pakistan Muslim League, Naeema Kishwar of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Syed Murid Kazim of the Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao, and Qurban Ali Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party.

The Awami National Party’s Bashir Bilour had been included in the committee, but he pulled out, saying there was no need for deliberations since the NWFP Assembly had already passed a resolution demanding the province’s renaming as ‘Pakhtunkhwa’. He said that his nationalist party would not participate in the committee’s activities.

However, ANP NWFP President Afrasyab Khattak told Daily Times that the party did not oppose ‘Afghania’ as the new name of the province. “It is not a new thing ... the provincial assembly proposed several names for the province in the last five years but the federal government rejected them. For the first time the ANP has agreed to a name other than Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

The ANP and other nationalist parties have asked successive governments to rename the province Pakhtunkhwa, but pro-centre parties, mainly the Pakistan Muslim League, opposed the name saying other ethnic groups may feel left out. The chief minister formed a committee a few months ago to decide whether the NWFP should be renamed Pakhtunkhwa or any other name. Some of the names proposed for the province include Pakhtunkhwa, Pakhtunistan, Abaseen, Afghania and Khyber. The ANP-led nationalist parties are in favour of Pakhtunkhwa, while the smaller parties prefer Afghania – a name chosen by the late Chaudhry Rahmat Ali for the NWFP when he coined the word Pakistan as the name of the new Islamic state.

Don't accuse the MMA, its an unanimous decision and includes the friend and supporters of Musharraf.

Even I didn't like such Nationalist names, however MMA will have to follow the will of majority in NWFP including the Nationalist, Muslim League, PPP factions involved in the process.

 

[Awaaz]

well by the sound of things, i believe most people in here want nwfp to end up like balochistan, where hatred of pakistan is rife. Violence is on the increase and fight for independence is stronger then previous decades. This has been brought about by the federal goverment who has never had any time to listen to the local people, about their concerns, unemployment and poverty.

Now you have a situation where hatred and deep mistrust had developed that will be present in peoples heart for decades, i read an article here where a person says that balochistan should not have its own native army unit as this will lead to 1971, people like these a minute punjabi trash, (majority of punajbi people are decent and loyal people) is what creates bad feeling amongst people.

 

[Awesome]

why wait for tomorow when you can do it today, i think they should change the name to any appropriate one chosen by the nwfp public and not any other group. More autonomy for province of nwfp where prosperity and development can increase, and mass poverty can be eliminated.

As far as feeling a pakistani, i dont think anyone in nwfp feels pakistani, you may differ but its true speak to people in rural areas as well as most major cities, one of the reasons for this is the ignorance of other pakistani groups, as pathan people are labelled afghanis and not pakistanis by the public. in my time in jehlum people called me afghani when i am from sarhad, in their mentality a pakistani is he who speaks punjabi and urdu.

This makes the people of nwfp feel as outsiders and therefore are not patriotic or passionate about pakistan.

Other issue is that lack of recognition of pathan people and leaders, i was reading some articles here posted by democrat pak, very extreme in my opinion, but they did higlight some truth, where balouch and people of nwfp have been neglected and for years and years, his comments about quaid e azam were extreme but absoultely right, though i belive he could have expressed them without insulting the man.

Can we please stop forcing the ideology of quaid e azam and allama iqbal on people as i feel its wrong, that creates an atmosphere where other ethnic groups feel that their leaders are not remembered for their hard work.

Quaid's the father of our nation, it is the ideology that has earned you the right to name a land in todays time or else you'd be just another slave race under the British or worse.

If you've met stupid Pakistanis who called you Afghani then that's just your hard luck. You would be equally stupid if you are ready to denounce your Pakistanihood and prove those idiots in Jhelum right.

 

[Awesome]

well by the sound of things, i believe most people in here want nwfp to end up like balochistan, where hatred of pakistan is rife. Violence is on the increase and fight for independence is stronger then previous decades. This has been brought about by the federal goverment who has never had any time to listen to the local people, about their concerns, unemployment and poverty.

Now you have a situation where hatred and deep mistrust had developed that will be present in peoples heart for decades, i read an article here where a person says that balochistan should not have its own native army unit as this will lead to 1971, people like these a minute punjabi trash, (majority of punajbi people are decent and loyal people) is what creates bad feeling amongst people.

The present federal government has been trying to make some breakthroughs in NWFP and it's only the MMA that has opposed everything. What has been MMA's governance in NWFP? Ban this, ban that. Ban music. Rip apart posters. The entire NWFP government has performed like a censor board and not taken responsibility to actually bring about some change.

And from what part do you get that we WANT violence and hatred of Pakistan? From the very beginning we suggested that we want the new name to be more Pakistani, meaning more intertwined with Pakistan than with Afghanistan. But somehow you assume the opposite.

 

[Awaaz]

Who is an Afghan anyway? Pashtun? Hazara? Tajik?

Afghan itself is amiguous, applying it to a Pakistani territory would be moronic. I would like to suggest Pathanistan .

asim are you pushtoon? a pushto speaking pushtoon, do you reside in nwfp? if answer is no then its best to keep your comments to your self as this creates an atmosphere of mistrust and poeple feel that their democratic right is being altered.

 

[Awaaz]

i am going to leave this conversation with some final words, we are all muslims first and then pakistanis and then what ever native group we belong to, we our differences but so does a husband a wife, we will always have these differences, its a healthy thing not a bad thing as long as we unite for one another when the common enemy threatens, and our common enemey is not india but anyone who threatens our way of life, security and interests.

So be it if nwfp becomes afghanis or what other name, it does not matter as an afghan is no different from a pakistani, i have relatives who live across the border, most pushtoons have families on either side of the border, where our loyalties ls where there is truth and justice, our loyalty is with pakistan and also with afghanistan , pushtoon people will never fight for afghanistan or pakistan if they decided to go war.

 

[Awesome]

asim are you pushtoon? a pushto speaking pushtoon, do you reside in nwfp? if answer is no then its best to keep your comments to your self as this creates an atmosphere of mistrust and poeple feel that their democratic right is being altered.

Your democratic right grants you the right to choose "Afghania" as the name of the province. My democratic right grants me to say "I don't like it for so and so reasons".