Lahore, Pakistan: Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (Senator and Former Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan), while addressing journalists at the Lahore Press Club, delivered a candid talk focused on national resilience, internal harmony, and the importance of unity beyond ethnic lines. The senator touched on critical issues ranging from regional threats to the misperceptions surrounding Balochistan, urging Pakistanis to embrace a collective national identity.

Reflecting on regional dynamics, Kakar noted that although Pakistan is significantly smaller than India — “just one-tenth its size” — it has remained unshaken in the face of continuous challenges since the 1990s. “Isn’t it an achievement,” he said, “that India has not been able to threaten or destabilize Pakistan despite its size and resources?”

Addressing concerns of discrimination, the senator strongly rejected the notion that smaller provinces face systemic exclusion.

“At the federal level, there is no discrimination. People from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, or anywhere else have equal — if not greater — rights to come forward and be part of the national mainstream,”

he asserted.

Touching on sensitive historical and security-related issues, Kakar remarked,

“Yes, we lost East Pakistan. But are we the only nation that has faced defeat in war? Even other States like India, the USSR, the UK, France and the US etc. have suffered similar setbacks. It’s part of a nation’s journey.”

Speaking about the issue of missing persons, he made a clear distinction:

“I am anti-militant, not anti-Baloch. The Baloch people are my own — I am one of them. The pain of Balochistan is personal to me.”

He emphasized that the narrative needs to shift from one of division to one of resolution and reintegration.

He also pointed to the targeted violence in Balochistan, highlighting that

“Punjabis, Sindhis, or others are not being killed in Quetta — Pakistanis are. When India targets Punjabis, it’s because it perceives them as the custodians of the state, aiming to provoke a defensive response.”

Kakar warned against falling into the trap of ethnic nationalism, stating:

“We should not bring Punjabi nationalism to the front. What we need is Pakistani nationalism — inclusive, united, and forward-looking.”

In closing, the senator called for a shift in mindset and a reaffirmation of national identity:

“We must see ourselves as one people, one nation — not fragmented communities. Our strength lies in unity, and it is this unity that will define Pakistan’s future.”