As if Islamist insurgency was not enough, Pakistan also faces ethnic separatism – notably, the Baluchi separatist movement, which launched a fresh insurgency – the fifth since 1947 – in 2004, as described by Abubakar Siddique in Foreign Policy magazine. Baluchi unrest threatens plans for natural gas pipelines from Turkmenistan and Iran.

For a more upbeat analysis of Pakistan’s federal system and its ability to accommodate regional diversity – aside from Baluchistan, see this article by Sharif al Mujahid in the Dawn newspaper of August 14.

Also in the Dawn of July 22, S. Akbar Zaidi critiques the ‘false nationalism’ of the Pakistani military, pointing out that they are dependent on US aid for 40% of their budget, so it is unbecoming for them to be critical of the US.