Modern Nation-State and Emergence of Ethnic conflicts:

 Peace of Westphalia put an end to one and half century of long wars, devastations
and conflicts in the name of religion( sectarianism in Christianity)
 Modern nation state system proposed that the states had to be created on the basis
of common history, language, racial background and culture.
 This system enforced that other minority ethnic groups had to be accommodated in
the state.
 No perfect ethno-linguistic or cultural community possible, hence ethnic conflicts
emerged
 80% of world states are multi-ethnic and no particular ethnic group has total claim
over entire state territories
Pakistan and the dynamics of ethnic conflicts:
 Every state need some national narrative, euphemism for propaganda, to survive,
sustain
 Pak created on the name of religion and had to accommodate several diverse
communities
 National narrative and nation-building require squashing the ethnic and cultural
identities and it results in ethno-linguistic conflicts
 Several ethnic based conflicts in Pakistan witnessed i;e dismemberment of east
Pakistan, sindhi-muhajir conflicts and current resurgent of Baluchistan conflict
 Ownership and control of natural resources is causing conflicts
 Tribalism factored in to make things worse
Use of term nationalism for ethnic parties