National Integration

To combine and bring together all the people of a country is known as national integration. It is a feeling which combines all the people irrespective of their colour, race, caste, region and religion etc. It is the only force with the help of which all types of people live together peacefully and considering themselves the members of single whole.

THE STATE OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN PAKISTAN:

Pakistan is facing the problem of national integration since its creation. The lack of national integration is a big problem. Owing to the absence of national integration Pakistan has been pushed to cruel circle. It has made Pakistan a sorry state of affairs, and has made Pakistan the centre of terrorist activities.

Due to this problem Pakistan has become an instable and vulnerable state and a total breakdown of state machinery. This was not the problem at first. Pakistan was the result of integration on the basis of Islam. Unfortunately after the death of Quaid-e-Azam the country was isolated. National integration faced too many problems.

At this rate, income inequalities, social injustice, political blow and other evils raised their heads. All of these made national integration weak and fragile. There is lack of consensus on important national issues in Pakistan.

For that reason the provinces hate each other. The Punjab is being accused by the rest of three provinces i.e. Sindh, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan for exploiting their resources and not paying there just share. Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa are against the construction of Kala Bagh dame while Punjab wants to construct it.

On the issue of NFC award the three provinces having the same reservation from Punjab. There are too much hurdles and difficulties in the way of national integration of Pakistan. It is necessary to vanish the sentiments of regionalism or provincialism linguistics or communalism etc.

Some of the important reasons of the failure of national integration of Pakistan are as below:

CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP:

After the death of Quaid-e-Azam there was hardly any leader upon whom the nation could be united. Every leader prefers his personal interest rather than national interest. They built up economic assets on illegal means. Thus they exploited the national purse on the coast of national interest and promoted personal interests. Therefore national integration remained weak and fragile.

ECONOMIC DISPARITIES:

There is a big gap between rich and poor. The system of Pakistan has been structured such that the gulf between poor and rich become widen with the every passing day. Rich become richer and the poor become poorer and poorer. It strengthens the upper and privileged class of society. It never cares of the lower class of the society. Thus the economic inequalities led towards the weakness of the national integration.

PROVINCIAL BIASES AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE:

Beside the lack of social justice and provincial biases are posing a threat to the basic existence of the country. It leads towards the destabilization of the state and shaking the basis of national integration of the country. The smaller provinces have developed the sense of deprivation. They think that they have been deprived of their just share in the national exchequer and of their just royalty. It has developed the age-old animosities among the provinces.

Social justice is the only solution of national integration in Pakistan. The water dispute existed among the provinces. It has posed a major threat to national integration. The provinces have objections on the construction of Kala Bagh dam which has detracted the confidence and unity of the country.

Likewise the dispute over NFC (National Finance Commission) award also posing serious threats to national integration. The provinces don’t agree on the formula in which the resources are to be divided on the basis of population. This creates great hurdles in the way of national integration of Pakistan.

MILITARY INTERVENTION:

Military intervention has weakened the basis of national integration. During military rule the small provinces has been deprived of there just share. East Pakistan seceded during military rule. The military regime failed to promote the sense of ones in the two wings of Pakistan.5 Baluchistan issue also emerged during military rule.

POLITICAL INSTABILITY:

Political stability is the most important prerequisite for strengthening the national integration. Unfortunately Pakistan is lacking this requirement since very long. The political instability has widened the gulf between the ruling class and the ruled class. It has distorted the picture of Pakistan and made it retrogressive in all spheres. Political instability has posed a big threat to national unity and integrity.

Lack of unity and integration has pushed behind the objectives for which Pakistan was created. It has also rhythm of national progress. As a result the nation has become hallow from within in terms of national integration.6

LANGUAGE PROBLEM:

Pakistani is a plural society. There are living many linguistic groups which is problem. Some time it poses serious threats for the geographical integrity of the state. Pakistan lost its eastern wing owing to

many problem of which the language problem was one of the important problem. In today’s Pakistan the difference of language is still a problem in the way of national integration of state. It is very much important for Pakistan to have a language policy which is helpful for the promotion of all languages equally. The current policy has created a sense among the small linguistic groups that the government is only promoting Urdu at the coast of regional languages. All the provinces have been divided into more than one linguistic group which contributing to the instability of country.

MEDIA:

Media is a source of information and education. It is the most effective mean of change and information. Media is expected to play a positive role in image building of the state. It is the responsibility of media to promote national interest and national integration. In a democratic society the role of media is to be of a watchdog. It is the need of the time that our media should strive for building of soft and positive image of the state.

POWER OF MEDIA:

Media is a link between people and societies. Without media they would have been isolated. In the current century media has very much powerful. With the help of media we came to know about the happenings around the world. It unveils the truth and injustice done to people. It rules over the mind of the people. Media educate the people and moulds their opinion, making and toppling the governments makes a hero a villain and a villain a hero. It changes the life style, thinking, culture and tradition of a society.

Power of media can be judged through its role as a source of information, education and entertainment. It has changed the world into a global village.

ROLE OF MEDIA IN NATIONAL INTEGRATION:

Pakistani media is playing very irresponsible role. Talk shows and political debates don’t consider themselves subject to limits. In debates the participants using abusive language against each other. The anchor persons are fuelling the arguments and counter arguments. They don’t care for the fact that what type of image they are going to develop publically. What the people will think about them. This trend is conveying a very negative massage inside and outside of the country.

In the name of freedom of press media, some time crossing the limits. There is a race among the different channels for breaking news which led to a fierce situation. They are using negative tools for increasing the number of viewership.

Media has to play a positive and productive role in a society. Education is one of the important factors in promoting national integration.

RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMES AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION:

There are so many so called religious programmes in which religious scholars appear who came on different TV channels and interpret Islam from their own perspective and point of view. They are crazy of popularity, money and modernity. There is a huge gap between the interpretation of modern ulama and the orthodox ulama. There are people who cannot bear either of the opponent group. They turned against each other and especially the followers of orthodox ulama even came on aggression which causes too many problems in our society. Dr Javed Ahmad Ghamdi, Dr Faroop (late) Dr Aamir Laiqat Hussain is among the modern ulam. Orthodox ulama have issued fatwas against them. The death of Dr Farooq is being connected with this opposition of ideas among orthodox and modernists. He was given threats to take his modern ideas back or then get ready for drastic consequences.

CONCLUSION:

Without media neither we can formulate an opinion nor can resolve any problem. Media has the potential of projecting any culture and give a sense of belonging to people belonging to different backgrounds. But unfortunately there are many examples where media could not come up with the expectations of the people.

From the above discourse it reveals that media in Pakistan does not deliver according to the needs of the nation. Their more concentration remains on market. How to increase the number of viewership, how to attract advertisers and how to break fresh news before any other do it. In this race and competition they often broadcast false and sensitive news.

Media is the most responsible institution of any state. In a state like Pakistan its responsibilities are more sensitive than any other country. Today Pakistan is the focal point of the world. All the countries have interest in Pakistan and thus they analyzing the situation every minute.