Politics, Religion and Society in Pakistan: A Critical Discourse on National Cohesiveness
Abstract
This study explores the ways in which religion and politics have influenced the history of Pakistan from the time it was founded until the year 2025. It examines the intricate dynamics of political parties, the constitution, and sectarian organisations in articulating their ideological positions and influencing the populace to embrace their constructed nationalist identities. The research argues that the reality is more intricate than the oversimplified perspective about Pakistan’s issues, which revolves around the tension between Islam and liberalism. The evolving power relations between religious authorities, political figures, military personnel, and ordinary citizens in their pursuit of rights and identity are the origin of these escalating confrontations. Initially, the research will concentrate on the religious and political occurrences that transpired in late colonial India. These developments include the constitutional framework of the Muslim League, several ulama associations, and the electoral mobilisation that occurred from 1945 to 1946. Furthermore, the document examines the Objectives Resolution, the Constitutions of 1956 and 1962, the Constitution of 1973, the 1974 amendment, the Islamization policies implemented by General Zia-ul-Haq, the Afghan conflict, the National Action Plan (NAP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, democratic transitions, the upcoming 2024 election, and the Twenty-sixth Amendment. The writer differentiates between individual faith, sectarian isolation, and aggressive mobilisation via qualitative historical examination and scholarly references. The article asserts that the tenets of equal citizenship, governmental responsibility, an independent judiciary, regional self-rule, and compliance with the rule of law are essential for attaining democratic stability and safeguarding religious liberty in modern Pakistan.
Keywords: Pakistan, Society, Politics, Religion, Constitutional Development, Islamization, Theocracy, Ulema, Political Parties, and leadership
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24075920
