British Colonial Imprints on Pakistan’s Western Borderland

Abstract

Colonialism in the Indian sub-continent was a continued source of violence, exploitation, and political subjugation. The British rulers in India had instituted various laws and regulations for various region and people to secure their own political interests. The legal framework for the western borderland- Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) - was different in nature and practices from the rest of the British India. Instead of incorporation the democratic and modern political values the British instituted and enforced a regulation, Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), which was very contrary to the British political system and values of freedom and justice. The FCR triggered violence, subjugation, political repression, and socio-economic marginalization in Pakistan’s border region. The paper qualitatively examined the motivation behind the colonial regulation and perspectives on colonial system from the lenses of postcolonial scholarship. The study investigates the political and strategic interests of the state in the region and the representation of the people to justify the ruthless use of power through colonial regulation-FCR. Furthermore, the research examines the implications of the FCR on the socio-economic and political landscape of the border region.