Federalism and State Disintegration - United Pakistan, 1947-1971: Some Historical Lessons for Afghanistan and Iraq.

Multiethnic, multilingual and socially divided large states usually, though not always willingly, prefer a federal system of government to build state institutions and promote national integration. Recently, there has been a surge in interest in federalism following the US-led invasions of Afghanistan in October 2001 and Iraq in March 2003. There are, however, both successes and failures in federal endeavors. This article analyzes the underlying reasons behind United Pakistan’s (1947—1971) choice of federalism right after its independence in 1947, probes the complex factors that eventually led to the disintegration of Pakistan in 1971, and finally highlights the historical lessons the failure of federalism in United Pakistan holds for Afghanistan and Iraq which are ethnically, socially, culturally and politically diverse and share many of the characteristics of United Pakistan. It argues that both Afghanistan and Iraq have much to learn from failed federal experiment in United Pakistan if they wish to avert their possible disintegration in future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]