From:
http://www.cacianalyst.org/June21/PAKISTAN’S_EXPLICIT_PRO-PASHTUN_POLICY.htm
Everyone is aware of the difficulties ahead in order to achieve a viable coalition government in Afghanistan that can meet the needs of all the various ethnic groups, approximately 70 in all.
Considering that Afghanistan’s neighbours have a stake in the outcome of the region I wonder if dividing up the country amongst the neighbours wouldn’t be a better long term solution. It seems to me that Afghanistans neighbours have a better chance at controling the “wild west” atmosphere of the region. The five major ethnic groups, comprising 93% of the population could be divied up amonst five of Afghanistans neighbours as follows.
- The Pashtuns, 38% of the population primarily in the west and south could be annexed by Pakistan. Already, the Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group to the predominant Punjabis, and the extra Pashtuns could provide more ballance to Pakistan.
2.The Tajiks, 25% of the population,in the north,could be annexed by Tajikistan.
3.The Uzbeks, 6%, in the north, to Uzbekistan.
- The Turkmen 5%, in the north to Turkmenistan
5.The Hazaras 19%. in the central mountain region, speak Persian and have the same Shia religion as Iran. I’m not sure of exact location, but may require a corridor to join Hazaras and Iran. That could be a buffer between Pakistan and Central Asian republics as well.
Afghanistan reminds me of the old lawless west, and I don’t believe its people have the maturity at present to move from a “territory to a state” . Afganistan as a country was a 19th century British-Russian concept, and perhaps now is the time to question the wisdom of this conglomeration of ethnic groups which really has no reason for being.
References:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/af.html
http://www.afghan-network.net/Ethnic-Groups/pashtuns.html
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~abawi/people.htm