Pakistan was established as what kind of country

But did, for example, a Malayalam-speaking Sunni Muslim from southern India really have more in common with a Punjabi Shia from the North than with his Hindu neighbour? There existed vast differences in language, culture and religious interpretations between Indian Muslims, even if they were united by a common faith. Jinnah was not the first to articulate the Two Nation Theory, but with the creation of Pakistan he transformed it into a political reality. The theory is now taught to all school children in Pakistan.

It is why many see independence as liberation from India, as opposed to independence from British colonial rule. At a tutoring centre in Islamabad, I asked teenagers why Pakistan was created. So that was why a new country was needed to get their rights. But when Pakistan was created, more Muslims stayed on in India than left. And then in Pakistan itself split in two, with the creation of an independent Bangladesh.

She says the official Pakistani narrative favours teaching ideology over history. He claims Muslims who moved to Pakistan have done "far, far better" in terms of literacy levels and economic opportunities than those who stayed in India.

He rejects the suggestion that the independence of Bangladesh following a bloody civil war undermines the idea all Muslims in the subcontinent could be categorised as "one nation". It is clear that the theory is key to Pakistan's national identity.

Islam is the principal bond between its ethnically diverse inhabitants. The national language, Urdu, is native to a small minority only. Read more:. To disavow the theory would be to question the strength of the bond holding Pakistan together.

Yet some ethnic groups in Pakistan feel they are treated differently from others. This is particularly the case for people in the western province of Balochistan, where there has been a long-running nationalist insurgency. Jehanzeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party, which campaigns for greater autonomy, says it would have been better for Pakistan to have recognised different ethnic groups as "four or five different nations" within a federation.

Instead there is a feeling among many in Pakistan that one ethnic group, Punjabis, dominate the rest of the country. In , Commonwealth representatives visited Pakistan. They met with officials and helped strengthen the security of online election tools and databases. The Secretariat helped Pakistan build good relationships between local human rights organisations, politicians and business leaders.

The Secretariat Youth Programme helped Pakistan build partnerships between young people, businesses, academics and the government. The aim was to increase youth employment and encourage young people to set up businesses.

The Connectivity Agenda is a platform for countries to exchange best practices and experiences to trade and investment and undertake domestic reform. Peace talks with the Taliban collapse and the army launches a major offensive on Islamist hideouts in north-west Pakistan.

Government responds to the massacre by lifting a moratorium on the death penalty and launching round-up of terror suspects, although critics complain major terror organisers are left alone. Human rights activist Sabeen Mehmud shot dead in Karachi.

They are designed to end Pakistan's chronic energy crisis and transform the country into a regional economic hub. The position is arguably the most powerful in the country. Pakistan closes border with Afghanistan. He is convicted and given a jail sentence. Military rule.

War and secession. Zia takes charge. Bhutto comeback. Nuclear tests. Thaw with India. Kashmir quake. Musharraf targets judiciary.

Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry.