ABSTRACT
The word ‘Pakistan’ emerged during the later part of the British colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent and the well-known poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal articulated the concept of a separate state of Pakistan in 1931 (see Hossain et al. 1999: 23-4). The All India Muslim League used this concept to name the newly independent Muslim parts of British India as Pakistan (with the east and west wings) when British India gained independence in 1947 with partition. The partition took place to create India mainly for Hindus and Pakistan primarily for Muslims, with the intention of ending ethnic violence. However, it led to extreme violence between Hindus/Sikhs and Muslims. Around half a million people were killed and about 6.5 million Muslims and 5.5 million Hindus became refugees. This disrupted many aspects of the livelihood of Pakistan and thwarted the country’s growth and development, particularly in its early years.
