ABSTRACT
Since independence Pakistan has suffered from internal conflict stemming from ethnonationalism and sectarianism. At the core of ethnoregional sentiment in Pakistan is the perception by Punjabis and non-Punjabis alike that the Punjabi community dominates the politics and society of the state. Particularly galling to the indigenous Sindhis has been the rapid commercial growth of Karachi, fueled by refugees and later by Punjabi money and talent, with relatively little corresponding benefit to the indigenous Sindhis. But the greatest impetus for Sindhi regionalism is inextricably linked to the career and demise of the late Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Originally the demand for Sindhudesh was directed primarily at the muhajir community, which controlled the commercial and industrial life of Karachi. Altaf Hussain also advocated the idea that muhajirs should be treated as a fifth nationality, a status commensurate with that of the Punjabis, Sindhis, Pakhtuns, and Baloch.
