Conflicts in Pakistan emanate from a configuration of factors
relating to the state system, the unstable regional setting, and the
global system at large. The state system in Pakistan has been
characterised by problems of constitutionally underdeveloped provincial
set-ups, dysfunctionality of elections for the prevalent system
perceived by a privileged migrant leadership, a centralist authority
structure, and a domineering role of army. During the last five decades,
the state system passed through various phases of centralism, populism,
and constitutional engineering by the military-bureaucratic
establishment as well as Islamisation, largely at the expense of
provincial autonomy and a sense of participation in the business of the
state shared by all communities. Non-recognition of electoral mandate as
the final source of legitimacy led to the emergence of ethnic movements
in East Pakistan, the NWFP, Balochistan, and Sindh. The perceived
Punjabisation of the state has created feelings of ethnic hostility
among all regions other than Punjab. Social insecurities caused by rapid
social change, such as urbanisation in general and in-migration in
Karachi in particular, have fuelled ethnic hatred all around. Similarly,
the influx of refugees from neighbouring countries, along with arms and
drug trafficking, has led to new patterns of identity politics and
higher levels of political violence. The state's relative
non-performance at the local level has pushed many sectarian groups to
exit from the parliamentary framework of politics towards a blatant use
of arms. What)s needed is the creation of a third tier of government at
the district and sub-district levels. At the top of the priority list
should be a policy of decentralisation and continuity in the electoral
process to bring the recalcitrant elements into the mainstream,
de-weaponisation, and strengthening of political parties as
interest-aggregating and policy-bearing institutions.