Rise of Extremism in Pakistan: Role of Islam | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

“Sectarian terrorism has been going on for years...The day of reckoning has come. Do we want Pakistan to become a theocratic state? Do we believe that religious education alone is enough for governance or do we want Pakistan to emerge as a progressive and dynamic Islamic Welfare State?” (South Asian Terrorism Portal, 12 January 2002)[1] – were the words of former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf on January 12, 2002 in his address to the nation, after deciding to support United States in its campaign of ‘war against terror’. The same question resonates even after a decade when eminent figures such as Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti are murdered for being critical of the blasphemy laws. In 2011, Salman Taseer, the Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province was assassinated by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri for defending Asia Bibi[2]. When Qadri was produced in court for trial, he was showered with rose petals by lawyers. After Qadri was tried and hanged in 2016, his funeral procession attracted a huge crowd. Also, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Pakistani Christian who was the Minister for Religious minorities in Pakistan was murdered for his support to Asia Bibi. Both the ministers had openly campaigned to reform Pakistan’s blasphemy law. (The Hindu, 15 November 2018)[3] This reflects the intolerance and extremism in the twentieth century society of Pakistan which poses grave threat to the country.