The Sub Continent and Two Nation Theory
The Sub -Continent & Two Nation Theory
Pakistan gained independence on August 14, 1947.
Following partition, Muslims from various regions of British India migrated to West Pakistan, East Pakistan, and some to Burma (Myanmar).
Burma gained independence on January 4, 1948. However, after General Ne Win's 1962 military coup, Burma became a strict socialist state, prompting many Muslim migrants to relocate again, mainly to East Pakistan, for business and family survival.
Those who settled in East Pakistan were labeled "Bihari" (outsiders), while West Pakistan settlers were called "Muhajir" (immigrants).
Post-Dhakka fall, some Biharis migrated to West Pakistan. Around 0.6 million Biharis are still in refugee camps of Bangladesh and living as stateless people.
So, both the terms "Behari" and "Mohajir" have the similar meaning as muslim immigrant from India and settled in East or West Pakistan.
Likewise hindus and Sikh families also migrated from East and West Pakistan to India as well as a result of this independence from British India.
The total population of British India was 300 million in 1947 and around 100 million population were muslim.
The approximate population of Pakistan was 75 million as per census in 1951.
( East Pakistan 42 million and West Pakistan 33 million).
Around 14 to 18 muslims migrated to Pakistan including 0.77 million towards East Pakistan. Whereas around 14 to 20 million hindus and Sikhs migrated from Pakistan to India.
Earlier to 1947, the British regime divided Bengal in order to please "elite Industrialist" minority.
The British divided Bengal into East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal (part of India) in 1905, known as the Bengal Partition. The reason was largely administrative and political:
- Administrative ease:
British officials wanted to improve governance in the large Bengal province.
- Divide and rule strategy:
Critics argue the British aimed to weaken the growing nationalist movement in Bengal by splitting the region along religious lines (East Bengal had a Muslim majority, West Bengal had a Hindu majority).
The partition was annulled in 1911 due to strong opposition from Bengali nationalists. Later, during the 1947 partition of India, Bengal was split again along religious lines, resulting in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal (India).
And in 1947, Punjab was also distributed in two parts like Bengal, the East Punjab became India and West Punjab became Pakistan. The sikh community, which were in majority, opted to stay with Indian Punjab.
Both Bengal and Punjab were divided mainly because of Two nation Theory, it were hindus in East Bengal and Sikhs in East Punjab, created by the British regime.
The fall of Dhaka in 1971 was a pivotal moment that exposed the reality and truth of the Two Nation Theory again.
Contrary to claims that it disproved the theory, it actually highlighted its validity
- Pakistan's political leaders failed to grasp the essence of the theory, prioritizing Western-style democracy over the core idea of Muslim unity. The crux of Pakistan's survival lay in embracing Political Islam, a principle still neglected in Pakistani and Bangladeshi parliaments. Ironically, India seems to be moving towards a Two Nation narrative, while Pakistan and Bangladesh struggle to reconcile with their founding ideology amidst secular aspirations. And around 230 million muslim citizens of India, are also the stake holder in this identity crises.
Yes, those Indian muslims who did not opt to migrate to Pakistan in1947, are also in the same boat with " Bihari" and "Muhajir" of Bangladesh and Pakistan in India.
Disclaimer:
I used three writeups below from Mr Nadeem Mirza, Ms Shazia Kiyani, an Advocate of High Court and an unknown writer to compile this article.All these writers presented their views based on ground realities. Which also reminds us the thought of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the Poet Of East:
"It was religion that shielded Muslims from identity crises throughout history - not the other way around. Muslims didn't save Islam; Islam safeguarded Muslims' identity."
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What is a migrant?
By Unknown Writer
Many local friends in Pakistan, ask the question, what is a migrant? What does it mean? If it means a migrant, then how did the current generation of migrants become migrants, they were born in Pakistan.
Kindly note that the Afghan immigrants are not in the scope of this article.
A critical answer can be given to this question, as well as a research answer, but today we will only give a research answer.
Migrants are those people who migrated from different parts of present-day India to present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. These include areas of UP, CP, Bihar, Delhi, Hyderabad, Deccan, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kokan, East Bengal, East Punjab and Madras, etc. When these millions of people were migrating to Pakistan, leaving their homes, businesses, etc., they were not migrating to Punjab, Sindh or Bengal, but to Pakistan.
Yes, the same Pakistan that their elders had founded, and despite knowing that Pakistan would not be formed in their areas, they remained active in the struggle for Pakistan.
When they arrived in Pakistan, they preferred to live in Karachi, which was the capital at that time, because most of them were educated and under an international agreement, the lands of Hindus who left here were to be given to Muslims and the lands of Muslims in India were to be given to Hindus.
These people spoke different languages, such as Khariboli, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, etc., but they adopted Urdu and made it their own language.
Since they were educated people, they got government jobs relatively quickly. The local population in Pakistan at that time was not that educated, which is why, despite the fact that the population of migrants was only 4% by 1960, the proportion of migrants in government jobs on merit was more than 25%.
The migrants who migrated from Indian Punjab to Pakistani Punjab did not take long to blend in with the local population, because the language, identity and culture were almost the same.
But the migrants who came to Karachi and Sindh spoke different languages, so the local population gave them many names, such as “Refugees, Makar, Indians, Refugees, Hungry and poor etc”.
Now, either those migrants would have made themselves Sindhis, as happened in the interior of Sindh, because the Sindhi population was in the majority there, so today the descendants of those migrants remain Sindhis. But the migrants who settled in the urban areas of Karachi and Sindh, there the Sindhi population was very small, because Sindhi Hindus were living in Karachi and urban Sindh before the formation of Pakistan, who later migrated to India.
Now, if one had to choose one word for themselves from the titles given to the people of Karachi and urban Sindh, the word “Muhajir” was chosen, and it was related to the migration of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), just as he migrated from Mecca to Medina and the Ahlul Bayt (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did the same, and then they were called Muhajirs all their lives. This was the largest migration in Islamic history, in which millions of people were massacred.
Now the question is why do they still considered as Muhajirs today?
The answer is that now the word “Muhajir” is not used only in the literal sense, but it has become a ethnic group of people, and is used it in the terminological sense.
They are neither Punjabi, nor Pashtun, nor Baloch, nor Sindhi. If the natives have no objection to call each other as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Baloch, Saraiki, etc., then, there should not be any issue to distinguish them as Muhajir, because these are also a seperate ethic group of people as well.
And if there can be four ethnic groups in Pakistan, why not five or even more like Saraiki, Baruhi and hindku etc.
People ask how long the generation after will remain a Muhajir and not a Pakistani.
The answer to this question is also that when the natives are willing to call them either Punjabi, Pashtun, Sindhi, Baloch, so its likewise apply for others as well. But all people are citizen of Pakistan and broadly all are Pakistanis having different customs and culture but similar in thoughts and belief.
The Muhajirs are Pakistani even before the formation of Pakistan. They were the ones who built this country.
Once someone start understanding this word in its figurative meaning instead of its literal meaning, just like Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashtun and Baloch, then this confusion will automatically resolved.
May Allah protect Pakistan and every nation and every race living in Pakistan, Amen, and remove the hatred for the word “migrant” from their hearts, Amen.
Long live Pakistan 🇵🇰
(Unknown Writer)
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The Second Mass Migration
New Migration Records — Pakistan’s Highest “Emigration Rate”- (By Ms Shazia Kiyani Advocate High Court)
Pakistan is setting a new record, but it is not a record to be proud of. The “migration” that we are talking about is not a festive joy, but a reality that is sowing pain in our hearts, questions in our minds and fears about the future every day. It is not surprising that this year too, millions of Pakistanis are leaving their homeland — educated youth, skilled professionals, doctors, engineers, IT experts, and even laborers who dream of a better life for their families. According to official figures, about 2,894,645 Pakistanis have left the country in the last three years — about 2.9 million people who have gone abroad in search of opportunities. This is not just a number, but a reality that is a witness to our national failure, government apathy and future crisis.
Those leaving Pakistan include not only unskilled laborers but also those we considered the hope of our nation — doctors, engineers, IT specialists, teachers, and other professionals.
And the numbers don’t stop there. In 2024 alone, 727,381 Pakistanis migrated abroad for legal jobs, compared to 862,625 in 2023 — an unprecedented wave of migration.
This is not a rumor, it is a fact.
Pakistan is currently witnessing the highest migration in its history —
And the ones responsible are those who chant “everything is good” on TV every day.
Nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis have left the country in the last three years alone.
862,000 in 2023
727,000 in 2024, and all of them were not unemployed.
These were doctors, engineers, IT experts, teachers, and skilled youth. That is,
the nation's brain, the nation's future,
the nation's hope — all boarded the plane. Then one wonders why there are fights at airports?
Why the question and answer?
Why the anger? Sir!
When someone tries to save his life by investing thousands of rupees
from this "despicable system",
he will not smile — he will scream. The irony is that
on one hand, people are being offloaded,
on the other hand, attempts are being made to ban people from foreign countries,
and on the third hand, the nation is being told
"Look! The brain drain has stopped". Wow!
People are being forcibly imprisoned and told
"Look, everyone is happy". This is not migration…
This is a betrayal of trust.
This is disappointment with the state.
This is the funeral of the young man
who once said:
“I will do something in Pakistan and show it.” Today, the same young man says:
“I just need to get out of here somehow.” Remember:
Nations do not survive by closing borders
Nations survive by giving hope. And where hope disappears
A passport becomes the most valuable document.
These are the people who did not easily obtain degrees worth millions of rupees,
hard work, and work day and night — but now they are seen in the travelogues of other countries instead of the gates of their homeland.
These are the same people who were once asked to play a role in the development of Pakistan, but today they are taking their talents, dreams, and future with them all — just a ticket to leave the country in hand.
Now if anyone wonders why the fighting, the questions and answers and anger when people are preparing to leave this country after spending millions of rupees? The answer is quite simple: These people are asking questions for their future, honor, and security — questions that have probably been waiting for an answer for years. And at the same time, we have government rhetoric here that “everything is fine, prosperity is visible, the pace of development is fast” — such statements would reassure a desperate youth that all the problems are really over! In reality, the slogans are increasing but lives and dreams are being lost. While Pakistan adopts new policies to improve the international image of people around the world, the same policies are forcing millions of citizens to leave the country — and this is not a “migration,” it is an exodus, a story of escape with no end in sight. Finally, one truth — this migration is not just a game of numbers, but a bad signal that if Pakistan does not provide policies, opportunities and a real future to stop its young power today, then tomorrow those people will not only be found but their names will also be brighter on the world map than Pakistan. Pakistan has declared development many times, but real development will come only when these youth stay in the country and become part of the journey of development, and not be forced to open the door and set foot on foreign land.
Shazia Kiani Advocate High- The writer
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Karachi & Muhajir Population
(Written By Nadeem Mirza)
Karachi residents demand attention from Chief of Defence Forces
According to the first digital census of 2023, 50.61 percent Urdu speakers, 38.29 percent other languages speakers and 11.1 percent Sindhi speakers live in Karachi. We will write the details later.
If we write something about Karachi, we are considered biased, but at the moment, the situation is that despite only 11.1% in Karachi, provincial secretaries, government employees, heads of departments, college principals, chairman of boards, vice chancellors of universities, senior police officers and police station chiefs and ninety percent of them are Sindhi speakers. Isn't this bias??
And all this was possible during the almost 18-year rule of the PPP. Even before that, there was discrimination, but at that time the ratio was 35-65, not 05-95.
These government officials do not do any work for the people of Karachi without bribery.
They have played the biggest role in making Karachi a ruin.
Land and property grabbing, selling water for two to three billion rupees per day, extremely poor law and order situation, thousands of crimes and hundreds of murders, extortion and drug trafficking, prostitution and raising anti-Pakistan slogans, everything is happening openly.
The children of Karachi are being deliberately failed. Children are being charged four times the fees in private educational institutions. Hospitals and commodity mafia are given free rein to loot and extort money from the people of Karachi by making new laws, while Karachi is already paying 90 percent of Sindh's taxes. Isn't this an injustice and discrimination?
Those who pay 90 percent of taxes should be given only 5 percent share in the government. And when the people of Karachi protest against this oppression and oppression, they start chanting slogans of "Mercy" and "Mercy", threats of rivers of blood begin, suggestions of going back to India begin, and then the Rangers start operations, due to which political and social workers are terrified and do not even think of protesting.
Thousands of Karachiites have been killed and disappeared in the last thirty years, and all this is happening because of discrimination. It is an open secret, everyone knows it.
Then the blame for discrimination falls on Urdu speakers and they are tried to suck the lollipop of Sindhi migrant brothers and sisters. It is said that the PPP is also abusing Sindhis. But still, it has won the last three elections from Sindh in the name of anti-immigrant sentiment.
I have advised my friends from Sindh and especially from Karachi to form a Non-Sindhi Speaking Alliance and fight for equal rights because this is the only solution to stand against this prejudice.
Below are the census figures, see for yourself.
Pakistan's first digital census was conducted in 2023, according to which the total population of Karachi is approximately 20,382, 881, which is nine percent of the total population of Pakistan.
This population is divided into different districts, including :
East District (3,950,031),
Central District (3,822,325),
Korangi District (3,128,971),
West District (2,679,380),
South District (2,329,764),
Malir District (2,403,959),
and Kemari District (2,068,451).
Here are some statistics about the number of people speaking different languages in Karachi:
- Urdu: 10,315,905
- Pashto: 2,752,148
- Sindhi: 2,264,189
- Punjabi: 1,645,282
- Balochi: 808,352
- Seraiki: 753,903
- Hindko: 653,727
- Brahi: 75,993
- Mewati: 30,375
- Balti: 26,906
- Kohistani: 14,073
- Sheena: 21,860
- Kalash: 614
- Other languages: 943,165
The population of Karachi is increasing by more than 500,000 people every year.
Nadeem Mirza- The Writer
December 20, 2025
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The Indian Muslims
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