PUNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is being criticised on social media for taking what has been seen as a rather divisive position on interprovincial relations. In televised remarks made during the first meeting of the apex committee of the Punjab government, Ms Nawaz, while speaking about terrorism and the challenges being faced by her government, at one point regretted that “the roads are open … anyone can come [to Punjab] via the motorway”, before singling out KP for being the source of deadly kite string that took a young man’s life in Faisalabad, and then continuing that “it cannot be that we have security check-posts on our borders, but the rest of our roads are open, and there is an open corridor for anyone, including terrorists and smugglers, to come and go”. The remarks have upset many, who perceive them as a sign of prejudice against the people of KP. Their anger is understandable. While the Punjab CM cannot be faulted for showing concern about the well-being of the people of her province, she should perhaps have considered being a little more circumspect about dragging another province into the matter.

Ms Nawaz would have been better served had she taken her concerns regarding terrorism, smuggling and kite string to the federal government and, directly, to the government of KP and pushed for solutions at the right forums. Suggesting, instead, that the Punjab government ought to regulate who can move in and out of the province is deeply troublesome — she should remember that all Pakistanis have as much of a right to the province as those domiciled in it. She may not have meant to make a statement regarding any particular ethnicity, but as a major political leader, her words could be seen as encouragement for those who actually hold ethnic prejudices. Unfortunately, many of our national leaders routinely forget that all Pakistanis, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion, are entitled to equal respect and consideration. There are examples aplenty of major leaders making statements, either in jest or general ignorance, that reduce entire social groups to an offensive trope. At least those politicians who hope, one day, to lead the country should realise that they must first strive to be inclusive before they can expect to find broad acceptance in Pakistan’s extremely diverse social milieu.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2024