ISLAMISATION OF PAKISTAN

The story begins in 1979, when President Zia-ul-Haq imposed Martial Law and maneuvererd the
elucidation of Islam. He associated his government with what we know as Nizam-e-Mustafa [The
order of the Prophet (PBUH)] and he restructured many institutions such as legal, political, social, etc,
in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Moreover, to ensure the legitimacy of his dictatorial rule he
described himself as a ‘soldier of Islam’ and he paid his maximum attentions towards forming an
Islamic society for which Pakistan was created. Beginning with the army, Zia’s upon being appointed
army chief by Bhutto, changes the slogan of the Pakistan Army to iman (faith), taqwa(piety), jihad fi
sabil Allah (jihad for the sake of God). Officers evaluation forms included a box of comments on an
officers religious sincerity. Proselytising groups such as Tablighi jamaat linked to the Deobandi
tradition enjoyed greater access to military officers and civil servants also appointed a number of
jamaat e islami members to head key ministries
Zia’s islamization also encompassed Pakistan’s judicial system. The government constituted
provincial shariat benches at the high court level and an appellate shariat bench at the supreme court
level tasked with deciding if any parliamentary law was Islamic or not and whether the government
should change them. The ordinances most controversial application was and remain the imprisonment
of female rape victims on the grounds of adultery. Since the commencement, the leaders of Pakistan
have used religious sentiments as a device for strengthening Pakistan’s identity. During Zia’s rule the
Islamists brought it into the consideration of the general public that East Pakistan was lost because of
the un-Islamic policies of our leaders, and this argument was further used to bring people, especially
the youth, under the folds of Islam. Pakistan during this time acted as the supreme force against
Soviet Union in Afghanistan, which is also characterised as Jihad. Islamists were not just looking
forward to convince people towards shariah but they were also concerned about recruiting fighters for
jihad. people were recruited as mujahedeen, fighting in the name of God, therefore many young men
who had no future security and were uneducated with no or modest world exposure were taken easily
by the fundamentalists based on the argument that sacrificing their life in the way of ALLAH is the
ultimate way to salvation. 
Another aspect that was witnessed during Zia’s rule was religious conflict between the Shia and Sunni
sects, which became more severe as a result of Islamisation. Conflicts over issues such as Sunni-based
Islamic measures regarding zakat and usher not just separated the Shia community but also gave birth
to excessive violence in the form of assassinations and attacks on mosques and shrines resulting in
infinite causalities among both the sects. This sectarianism was also provoked by the Iranian
revolution, where the two sects of Pakistan were made proxies to fight the battle between Saudi
Arabia and Iran. To conclude, if Zia’s intention was actually to bring Islamisation in Pakistan than he
would have done something to resolve the matters between the two sects and unite them as Muslims,
but Zia did not do anything in this regards; in fact, Sunni madrasas were increased in number, further
increasing resentment between the two, therefore we can relate the conflicts taking place presently
between Sunni and Shia in Karachi back to 1980s.
Along with sectarianism, religious intolerance also emerged due to Zia’s Islamisation policies. Before
the partition Muslims and Sikhs lived together in Punjab, but following the partition there was a lot of
bad blood between the two communities. Men from both sides tried to acquire others’ land and
property by illegal means and even kidnapped and raped women of the respective sides. An argument
that I would like to highlight here is that a leader of an Islamic republic could be accountable for
spreading the Islamic teachings but he is not allowed to identify who by definition should be a
Muslim or a non-Muslim, but Zia in the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) introduced the
classification of Muslim and non-Muslim and in the same amendment he determined the status of
Ahmedis as “non-Muslims”. Moreover, Zia’s emphasise was to make Pakistan a state comprising of
polished citizens which he thought was only possible when they are made a better Muslims. But Zia’s
believe went into contradiction with the promises made at the time of partition to protect minorities’
rights, as Pakistan was not just a state that belonged to Muslims but it also incorporated non-Muslims
who might not share the same religion but could be responsible and obedient citizens.
To conclude I would state that Zia’s Islamisation policy introduced a lot of injustice and
discrimination in the society, whereby people lost their trust and confidence in political leaders. His
administration is not just associated with Islamisation of Pakistan, but a period when Pakistan
advanced towards extremism, with the explosion of a jihadi and sectarian culture along with excessive
use of narcotics and militant violence.  Moreover, I believe that Zia used Islam for his own well-being
and to defend an otherwise dishonest and unlawful regime, therefore I observed that during General
Zia’s era Pakistan suffered the most suffocating years of its existence.