Dawn: Nadeem F Paracha: When religious extremists assassinated Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 and Bashir Ahmed Bilour in December 2012, my mind kept going back to what some political thinkers had warned about decades ago. Men, whose warnings were not only ignored but labeled as being treacherous and ‘anti-Pakistan.’

For example, the following is what Sindhi nationalist leader and scholar, G M Syed, said about Pakistan’s future way back in 1953: “In the years to come, Pakistan will not only become a problem for itself, but it will pose a danger to the world.”

More than 50 years ago this man had somehow realised and predicted a future that is currently haunting not only Pakistan but also the world at large.

This was a man articulating a rather breathtaking insight that he had experienced long before Pakistan had become an anarchic dystopia where bread is promised and blood is shed in the name of faith.

But Syed was not the only one in those days casting a pessimistic shadow across the possible future of the newly-founded country. Those who agreed with Syed were various Bengali and Baloch nationalists, along with Pushtun nationalist icon, Bacha Khan.

More: