New Delhi: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is calling for syncretism. In a recent interview with a Pakistani channel, Asif acknowledged his Hindu ancestry and urged people in the subcontinent to ‘own’ their identity.
The interview began with a geopolitical note concerning Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran war, but it quickly turned into a self-discovery as the defence minister began analysing his country’s civilisational history, a perpetually hot topic on both sides of the border.
The deep dive into Pakistan’s history began with a simple question from the interviewer: What does the minister think about Lahore renaming its roads and public spaces to their pre-Partition–era Hindu names?
The minister, who is known for his controversial takes and tweets, gave a pragmatic response: he is proud of his Pakistani heritage, but the country’s mentality should be reformed.
“My forefathers became Muslims from Hindus, many other Kashmiris, and I were converted when Shah Hamdan travelled from Tajikistan and brought Islam to the region. There is no harm in owning your identity, but you need to look at history, dispassionately and not radically,” Asif said.
He added that the thing lies in reading factual history.
“You see, when Mahmood Ghaznavi used to come from there, he used to kill Muslims all the way. Those who did not suit him. Do civilisations have only one ruler? No. There are many sides to it. Later, many of his descendants settled in Lahore. History should be analytical and from a historical perspective,” Asif said.
He then pointed out that an ahistorical perspective helps no one. In the context of renaming, Asif, in his quintessential Punjabi style of speech, added, “If you want to rectify the present situation, or if you want to identify something in it, then you go and identify in the past. Do not deny that a certain person used to live here. Half of the population in Pakistan comes from Saudi Arabia or Iran.”
Asif then said that he practices what he preaches. He recalled sharing this historical background with Nawaz Sharif during a trip to Tajikistan. Upon realising the geographic roots of the saint who influenced their lineages, they paid their respects.
“We know we were Hindus. History is dispassionate. But governments dramatise it. History should be read dispassionately. If you read history passionately, then you cannot get the right result from it,” he added, before making a critique of the curriculum in Pakistan. Asif also added that when he was a student, he read about Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya and others.
But Pakistanis are no longer taught about this. He explicitly challenged the mainstream narrative taught in Pakistani textbooks, stating that it was Sufi saints like Hamdan who converted his ancestors, rather than the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim, whom he described strictly as a “political person”.
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‘A true Pakistani and Muslim’
Pakistanis are amused and divided. While many reflected with amusement, a significant number of people reacted with anger and strong disagreement.
“Wow, Khawaja Asif, you have spoken brilliantly. You have proven yourself to be a true Pakistani and Muslim. We have misled our generation by distorting history. Our historians have written wrong history and taught the Pakistani generation wrongly about others, making them enemies of other nations,” a YouTube user wrote.
Others are endorsing his views. “Realistic history should be taught and talked about!
“No fanaticism and dramatisation by glorification of fake and notorious characters of history! Even if Bhagat singh or Maharaja Rajeet Sing were actually the sons of soil of Punjab then what is harm in not admitting them as such … true heros of our History of Punjab. Khawaja Sahib is a practical man. V must remember our heros , may they be from any cast, creed, or religion! From unitd India… v have to find our heros and appreciate their struggle for humanity and independence!(sic),” another user, Asmatullah added.
Opinions differ. Some are wondering who made Asif a minister, and others are just advising him to be ‘ashamed’ for making such comments. Many questioned the minister, too. For someone harping on authenticity and factuality, why is their government always committing fraud?
“Khawaja, you all should be ashamed that you are speaking ill of your own people. You have done this for Pakistanis, and on top of that, you are speaking ill of others”, another X user added.
One angry Pakistani simply said, “Who made him a minister?”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)