This is merely a thought ‘out of the box’, albeit radical, yet may have merits to warrant a discussion.

While there is no doubt that Pakistan is a political entity, which is established and recognised by the comity of nations, yet internally it is, as it appears, battling to find an identity, resulting in the rise of subnationalism and political contradictions and strife.

India, out of which Pakistan was carved, was not single political entity till the British came on the scene. It was a myriad of subnational identities, cultures, traditions and faiths.

Pakistan was created solely on the basis of Faith, while India, espoused a secular constitution. Notwithstanding the secular constitution, India has its movement that are prompted by subnationalism. However, it survives as an entity because of it secular structure and laws.

On the other hand, Pakistan solely depends on its Faith, powerful that it maybe, but it is not powerful enough to extinguish the sub nationalism that festers beneath the superficial layer of Faith. Indeed, if Faith was the be all and end all of a Nation, then Bangladesh would not come into being!

While the Islamic Faith is very potent as a uniting force, it apparently is not that potent to wash off subnationalism or perceived dominance of one community over the other. Balochistan which is richest as a region is the poorest in Pakistan.

Maybe the grumbles of the stomach are more real than religion as such!

One also wonders if religion alone, as its sole raison d’ętre, can make a nation!