Pakistan and Religious Politics پاکستان اور مذہبی سیاست

By Nazeer Naji

I cannot think of a way of pouring my heart out.  I cannot choose words to express the fact that not a single witness had registered an FIR under 295-C against Salman Taseer. No case had been filed against him in any court. No judge had convicted him. Nevertheless there is a mob that is running a campaign by declaring him a blasphemer. Recently, the ulema delivered lectures warning the government against amending the law 295-C. The amendment being debated has not been presented in the Parliament in the first place. It has also been reported that the file has been closed and the staff of the speaker will not even consider it. But the threats have not stopped. The Prime Minister made it public yesterday that he does not have any plans to present the amendment bill. The matter of amendment according to principles and rules of the Parliament has been put to rest but the protests and demonstrations are going on.  The publications of statements of those who think that Salman Taseer was not guilty of blasphemy at all have been banned. This is the dilemma with the writers as well. Their comments are not being published. The tradition of politics in the name of religion is not new in Pakistan. The demand of making the Objectives Resolution a part of the Constitution was being made right with the establishment of Pakistan. The ruling class had become under pressure of the religious politicians right from the beginning, though the Muslim League had attained Pakistan by defeating these people during the freedom struggle.

The people playing politics in the name of religion had lost their morale and they were not finding any place in Pakistan politics. But in the words of late Altaf Gauhar, “I don’t know why we (the bureaucracy and the politicians) were scared of the religious politicians. While taking any decision, we would think what the reaction of the maulvis was going to be”. In this connection, Mr Altaf Gauhar would narrate a story:

When the preparations of the issue of Pakistani currency started, the designs of notes and coins were being made.  Various designs would be presented to us and we would suggest modifications and then finalise designs.  The artists had themselves had got the idea that there would not be an image of any human being. One day the committee for the selection of design came up with the proposal that the image of Qaid-e-Azam should be on the notes. The immediate response was that the maulvis will raise a hue and cry. But the proposal had taken the fancy of the other committee members. The decision to publish Qaid-e-Azam’s picture was then taken unanimously. But our bureaucrat colleagues expressed the apprehension that there will be strong reaction from the maulvis. But there was not an intense fear. (He was talking about this during Zia regime). Acting on the decision, the currency notes were issued. There was no particular reaction as was feared. A couple of voices were raised but no one noticed them. Contrary to our apprehensions, the maulvis joined the race to earn the same notes alongwith others and are doing so even today.”

Religious politicians continued to do politics in the name of struggle for the implementation of religion. It is surprising that the slogan of implementation of Islamic Sharia became a part of election politics in Pakistan during the reign of Gen Yahya Khan. The Information Minister of Gen Yahya Khan, Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan got a new ministry formed to pave the way for this slogan and became a darling of the media. It appeared at that time that the religious parties would make it to the Assemblies in large numbers. A large part of the contemporary media had already assigned 36 seats to the Awami League and 15-20 seats had been anticipated for the People’s Party. But when the election results were out, the people asking for votes in the name of Islam were wiped out. Bhutto was running an efficient government. A small group of religious politicians started a movement against the Ahmadis.  For the first time in the Constitution of a democratic country it was incorporated who was a Muslim and who was not, a move by Bhutto that baffled many. Taking heart from Bhutto’s move, a political alliance was formed that demanded the implementation of Nizam-e-Mustafa. But even in the elections of 1977 the religious politicians faced defeat. Ziaul Haque came forward to lead the forces who were hell-bent on making Pakistan a religious state and captured power.  This army dictator run his dictatorship in the name of Islam for eleven years and the religious politicians were made powerful within the frame work of the establishment and government. The first war of Afghanistan that started against the Soviet Russia was fought with the slogan of Islam and the Americans helped the mujahideen with weapons and money. Perwez Musharraf strengthened the same forces that supported Ziaul Haque despite his claims of broadmindedness. But when the elections were held after the return of democracy, the religious parties faced big defeat.

In 1970, the tradition of providing funds to political leaders started on the lines of the foreign countries and communal groups kept coming into existence. The main source of the man force for these groups was the warriors who had fought guerilla war in Afghanistan. The series of Shia-Sunni bloodshed started after that which is going on even today. In view of the free and fair elections, the religious politicians had realized that they will not be able to succeed against the mainstream political parties. So they have started coming together and when Maulana Fazlur Rehman raised the slogan of the protection of the sanctity of the Prophet (PBUH), it became clear that this time the religious politicians will come onto the elections field with the issue of blasphemy laws. The campaign being run following the assassination of Salman Taseer has next elections as its goal. A common view is that the general elections will be held before the scheduled time. The religious politicians will form a united front in the next elections and organize their supporters with the slogan of the sanctity of the Prophet (PBUH) and provoke the sentiments of the people by issuing fatwas against their opponents. This slogan was first raised in1970 but was confined to ideological discussions only and the Islamic slogan could not give much political benefits to them. This time the slogan will be raised in the name of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The blind love that the believers have for the Prophet (PBUH) will be used against their opponents. You have already seen the initial scenes. The weapon proved very effective.  Now the media will be intimidated with help of the bureaucracy so that no political party can stand up to the religious politicians. One sided stances will be reiterated time and again. It has to be seen how the people show their political wisdom this time.

Source:  Sahafat, New Delhi

URL: https://newageislam.com/urdu-section/pakistan-religious-politics-/d/3941