One Unit and Pakistan Constitution 1973: Two Sides of the Same Coin

• Today, the establishment has created contract agents who are driving democracy to sell off everything said Zafar Junejo

Karachi: On the first of July, One Unit was removed, a result of the remarkable struggle of Sindh and, of course, NWFP (Now, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Balochistan. Unfortunately, even though it has been 54 years since One Unit was removed, Sindh is yet under its influence, said Professor Aijaz Qureshi, a well-known author, and columnist.

Aijaz Qureshi has penned books on One Unit and The Case of Karachi, which were highly appreciated in Sindh and across the province. At a young age, he went to jail for opposing One Unit.  

On July 1, 2024, the book: “One Unit: The Darkest Period of Sindh’s History” was launched at Art Council Karachi to honor the anti-One Unit Movement. Anti-One Unit Committee organized the event. The authors who contributed to the book, including Professor Aijaz Qureshi, Zafar Junejo, Abdul Khalique Junejo, Advocate Amanullah Shaikh, Nazir Mansoor, and Zahra Khan joined the program. Speaker Shazia Nizamani also attended it.

Zafar Junejo, activist and author, spoke critically about people celebrating Sufi programs, stating that they may not believe in political struggle or protest. He highlighted how One Unit was established to benefit Punjab. Indeed, One Unit was established to maintain Punjab’s dominance. It was a scheme to erase the identity of Sindh and other provinces, as well as to take away their resources and land. “We are still facing the same issues,” he said.

Zafar mentioned the Punjab politician Mumtaz Dultana, who was a sole supporter of One Unit and linked it to the Indus Civilization. At that time, Comrade Hyder Bakhsh Jatoi asked Dultana, “Why do you remember the Indus civilization now?” He lambasted the point about the Indus civilization, saying that boundaries have been established and the question of self-determination is more important now. Therefore, no one can fool Sindhis by invoking the name of the Indus Valley civilization.

He further added that the establishment has learned from history, so they have created contract agents in the name of democracy who are selling off our land and resources. “Nowadays, if someone says that they stand by Sindh, it is an essential thing,” says Zafar.

Shazia Nizamani, an activist states that the same excuses used to introduce One Unit are now being made to impose a presidential system, indicating that nothing has changed. She emphasized the importance of remembering the role of Sindhi media and students in opposing One Unit. Additionally, she expressed her support for the 18^th Amendment, believing that it would help Sindhis protect their rights.

“One Unit curbed the rights of small provinces. We are still fighting for our rights. Sammi Deen Baloch and her sister held a press conference where both sisters were asking the state to bring their father’s body,” said Zehra Khan, an activist.

Nasir Mansoor, an activist, posed the question of what kind of democracy people are demanding in Pakistan. He argued that there could never be true democracy if Hindus and Christians cannot be the Prime Minister, and stated that the Pakistan Constitution does not address equal rights.

Advocate Amanullah Shaikh, an author, termed the Pakistan 1940 resolution as a fraud. He emphasized the need for real politics, stating that relying on “Insha’Allah” and “martial law” would accomplish nothing. He argued that unity and alliances among victimized nations are essential for change, warning that without such efforts, nothing will change.

Abdul Khaliq Junejo, an author and Sindhi nationalist politician, critically stated that One Unit and the Pakistan 1973 Constitution are two sides of the same coin. He argued that both emphasized Muslim identity while failing to recognize the identity of nations and criticized the 18^th Amendment for not securing rights.

According to Junejo, the constitution of 1973 legitimizes the looting of land and resources from smaller provinces. He supported the principle of self-determination and insisted that it was time to clearly identify and confront the adversaries.

Professor Aijaz stated that there is a need to start a movement similar to the One Unit again.