Violence In Karachi Exposes Deep Divides -- Washington PostKARACHI, Pakistan — A trash-strewn dusty street here became a front line in recent ethnic battles that killed 100 people in four days.
Now, in the aftermath, residents speak of the street as though it is a chasm, dividing the population of this oceanside city of 18 million and even Pakistan itself.
On one side, people known as Mohajirs, long the dominant group in this economic hub, seethingly point to bullet-scarred and burned houses and demand a new province that would be theirs alone. On the other side, Pashtuns who migrated here in recent years after fleeing an Islamist insurgency in their native northwest also point to bullet holes, and some express worry that a sort of ethnic cleansing is to come.
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My Comment: We in the West perceive Pakistan as one big unified Islamic country .... that is further from the truth. Pakistan is in fact a federation with diverse ethnic and sectarian groups. And while using Islam as a common thread to keep these ethnic groups unified has been successful since independence, it is now starting to unravel. If you want a better understanding of Pakistan .... this is a must read post for you.
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