Secular Pakistan? Partition was right? Nukes needed?

From the sectarian civil wars in Arab countries to the partition of the subcontinent, there was a passionate search for answers at almost 37 discussion sessions held at the Karachi Literature Festival on Sunday.
There was buzz aplenty on the second day of the event as people continued to flock there to quench their thirst for a much-needed progressive activity in the city.
The discussion panelists were legends of their fields. Stefan Weidner, Robin Yassin-Kassab, Anouar Benmalek participated in ‘the Arab Spring’ discussion, which was moderated by Ishrat Hussain.
They discussed the current situation in different Arab countries, especially Iraq and Syria. They were of the view that a new dangerous phenomenon is being witnessed in the Arab world – sectarian civil wars.
These wars have erupted in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and other countries. Even after these wars and change in governments, the issues of these countries remain unresolved.
In another discussion titled ‘Looking Back to Partition’, the question was raised as to what other alternatives were there to the partition of the subcontinent.
Yasmin Khan, Dr Hamida Khuhro, Syed Jaffar Ahmed, Alok Bhalla, Asif Noorani were the panelists in the discussion and it was moderated by MR Kazmi.
They were of the view that there were no options at that time. The man responsible for the current troubles of the region was Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. Had he been sincere, the relationship between India and Pakistan would have been much different now.
They said at that time, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was engaged in communal politics and others were doing the same as well. They also said there is no comparison between Jinnah and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The migration of Hindus from Sindh to India also came under discussion. They said before partition, Hindus in large numbers were living in the province. They were forced to migrate to India and those left behind are being harassed, kidnapped and murdered. They also demanded that Pakistan be declared a secular state. An intellectual from India, Alok Bhalla, interrupted and said not only Pakistan, but every state in the world should be declared secular, where every person should have the right to follow his/her own religion. It was also pointed out that Pakistan has a diverse society and there is need to preserve it.
In another discussion titled ‘Nuclear Pakistan: An overview of the Strategic Dimension’ –participated by Zafar Iqbal Cheema, Zulfiqar Khan and Najamuddin Shaikh and moderated by Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy – it was maintained that nuclear weapons do not ensure national security. The panelists said Pakistan’s arsenal is increasing, and in the arms race in the region, it is bound to lose. A nuclear arms race has started in South Asia, in which India is leading and Pakistan is also in the run.
They said India is 10 years ahead of Pakistan as far as nukes are concerned. They were of the view that the two countries should not exclude the option of talks. Nuclear weapons cannot keep a country safe from internal threats. Pakistan faces more danger from internal threats rather than external.
The panelists said being a nuclear-armed country, Pakistan needs to consider whether it needs a large army or not.
They also expressed concern over the threat posed by religious extremists. They termed Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jamaatud Dawa, both actually the same organisation, a real threat to national security.
They were of the opinion that if Pakistan becomes an isolated state, it would not be because of its nuclear weapons, but the “other role” it is playing in the region.