As Pakistan nears its seventy-seventh anniversary celebration, it is high time that the government takes the particular bull by the horns that no politician or administration has had the stomach for so far, and that is to interpret the Quaid\u2019s real vision for Muslim-majority Pakistan.
\nOver the last half-century or so the religious lobby that dominates the country\u2019s conservative right-wing has been able to paint the founding father\u2019s vision and legacy in its own colours precisely because its narrative went largely unchallenged. And that happened because the few voices that did speak up were swiftly dubbed un-Islamic and hounded till a very clear message was sent, and accepted, across the board.
\nThis mould began taking shape sometime in the 1970s, before the genesis of the Zia regime that later cemented it, when the clergy suddenly exhumed the Objectives Resolution in its attempt to influence the country\u2019s politics; and everything form the purpose of the independence movement to the personality of its leader was given an exclusively religious touch. That way the principle rationale for partition, was lost in the nose. And that was the two-nation theory, which was a political treatise detailing how Muslims of the subcontinent would be politically disadvantaged by the Hindu majority and deprived of their true right to determination. Therefore, it was demanded that the departure of the British also leave behind a country where Muslims would be free of such discrimination.
\nPakistan, therefore, was meant to be a country where the political and religious rights of Muslims would not be trampled upon, not a country to portray and practice a wrong image of Islam. It did not signify in any way, contrary to what Indians are so fond of saying at international forms, that the idea of Pakistan implied that religion should be the sole determinant of statehood.
\nIt\u2019s a shame that a country that had to defy overwhelming odds just to come into being did not take too long to lose its sense of identity and direction. One way to get back on track, so to speak, is to identify once again with the ideals and real legacy of the founding father. But that is going to need a lot more than one minister or one press statement.
\nThe government\u2019s decision to stand firm against the TLP vitriol is a good step but unless the state puts its weight behind efforts to rescue Quaid\u2019s true contribution to history from complete obscurity, any initiative will fizzle out rather quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Pakistan nears its seventy-seventh anniversary celebration, it is high time that the government takes the particular bull by the horns that no politician or administration has had the stomach for so far, and that is to interpret the Quaid\u2019s real vision for Muslim-majority Pakistan. Over the last half-century or so the religious lobby that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-422524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\n