Hazara: Ehhino-Nationalism in Pakistan Origin, Evolution and Developments

Description

Dr. Azhar Abbasi argues that newly independent South Asian states inherited structural challenges such as weak governance, uneven resource distribution, and ethno-linguistic divisions, which fostered ethno-nationalist movements. In Pakistan, Bengali, Sindhi, and Pashtun nationalism emerged, demanding greater provincial autonomy and resisting centralization. The Bengali movement led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, while other groups in West Pakistan continued similar struggles. The 2010 Eighteenth Amendment granted more autonomy and renamed NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sparking protests in Hazara. This led to the rise of the Hazara ethno-nationalist movement, a key focus of Abbasi’s research and a significant contribution to ethnonationalism studies.
~ Professor (Dr) Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah ~
Professor Emeritus Faculty of Social Sciences,
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad – Pakistan.

Author Biography

AZHAR MAHMOOD ABBASI, holds a PhD in Pakistan Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University and teaches at the Department of Pakistan Studies, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. His research primarily focuses on ethno-nationalism on Pakistan with particular emphasis on the Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His academic interests encompass identity politics, ethnicity, ethnic movements, and provincial politics in Pakistan.