17 May 1996
Oxford, Great Britain
By Iftikhar H. Malik
The participants heard two papers by Dr Ian Talbot (Coventry) and Dr Javed Majeed
(London) in the first session. Talbot argued that it is only by reverting to regional histories
and political culture bequeathed by the Raj that Pakistan's political inheritance can be
presented in its entirety. Javed Majeed, in his paper on Allama Iqbal, the poet-philosopher,
contemplated the interrelated issues of ummah, nation, qaum and
millat. The discussion following these two presentations dwelt on issues of state
formation, Islam and ethnic activism in their Pakistani context.
The second session of the seminar, chaired by Dr David Washboork, heard presentations by
Dr Sarah Ansari (Royal Holloway), Dr David Taylor (London), and myself. After a brief
theoretical foreword to the concepts of community and communalism, Dr Ansari concentrated
on the political history of Sindh during the 1940s. In his paper, Dr Taylor deliberated upon
the interlinked issues of authority, legitimacy, and consensus which seem to create a plethora
of ambiguities and dissensions. The role of the state in politicisation of regional identities and
its diverse attitudes towards different issues generated an absorbing discussion on both the
papers.
Kashmir dispute
The third session of the seminar was devoted to Pakistan foreign relations with reference to
the Kashmir dispute and Southwestern Asia. Victoria Schofield (free-lance journalist)
analyzed the historical injustices done to Pakistan and Kashmiris in 1947 and ever since in
her paper. She underlined the need for a meaningful dialogue between Indians, Pakistanis,
and Kashmiris to resolve the age-old deadlock. My own paper discussed Pakistan's relations
with the neighbouring Muslim world. I argued that the dissolution of the Soviet Union and
emergence of the Muslim Central Asian Republics caught the Pakistani Foreign Office and
the political leadership unawares. There is a greater need for coordination, consensus, and
positive initiative on Afghanistan. Similarly, there is a greater need to strengthen bilateral
and regional relations with China and Iran without ignoring Pakistan's links with the other
Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia. These two papers generated
quite a discussion in view of the situation in Indian-held Kashmir, violence in Afghanistan,
and Pakistan's diminished clout in Kabul. It was felt that Islamabad needed to do more
homework, and without losing any more time on rhetoric must build up positive strategic
plans by coopting various forces within and outside the country.
The final session of the seminar, chaired by Professor Francis Robinson (Royal Holloway),
heard two complementary presentations on British Pakistanis. Dr. Tariq Maudood of the
Policy Institute, London, illustrated less-than-satisfactory records of Pakistanis and
Bangladeshis in areas like education, jobs, and housing. Dr Yunas Samad (Bradford)
informed the participants of his ongoing research on British Pakistanis in West Yorkshire.
He also looked at inter-generational tensions within the diasporic communities with religion
providing a superordinate identity. Discussion on both the presentations focused on inter-
ethnic relationship and the role of the majority viz-a-viz the minorities.
Dr. Iftikhar H. Malik is attached to the School of History, Bath College of Higher Education, Newton Park, Bath, BA2 9BN, UK.