Religion as the Foundation of a Nation: The Making and Unmaking of Pakistan
IDSA Monograph Series No. 36
2014
Pakistan owes its origin to the ‘Two Nation Theory’ in the sub-continent’s polity. Leaders of the Pakistan Movement were convinced that Muslims were a separate nation from the Hindu nation and the two could not live together. In their zeal to create a modern progressive Muslim state in the sub-continent they chose to down-ply, or even ignore, the sectarian divide that had been manifesting in South Asian Islam even when the British were still at the helms. Came independence and these sectarian fault-lines began to manifest themselves in Pakistan’s polity. It would be erroneous to blame General Zia ul-Haq with triggering the big Islamic theological divides, they were already there. Even General Ayub Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tried to politically manipulate the sectarian divide in Pakistan to suit their needs. What Zia ul-Haq did was to build a common cause with Islamic zealots and provide them Army/ISI’s patronage and access within the structures of the government. Various national and regional events since then have allowed these Radical Islamists (RIs) become almost a state within the state.
Which way this sectarian divide going to turn? Would Pakistan as came into existence in 1947 going to survive? What is going to be the future shape and structures Pakistan is likely to acquire under the Radical Islamist’s (RIs) onslaught? These are some of the questions this monograph seeks to examine and hopes to trigger a debate on ways to assess and deal with the impending catastrophe in Pakistan which is likely to be cataclysmic by any yard stick.
About the Author
P. K. Upadhyay, the author of this monograph, has watched events unfold in Pakistan during last forty-years very closely. After having joined IDSA as a Consultant for the Pakistan project in 2009, his association with research for this monograph also began and the end product is submitted herewith to experts and knowledgeable scholars, journalists and other interested in Pakistan as food-for-thought. P. K. Upadhyay is also the author of chapters on Islamic radicalisation in the two reports – Whither Pakistan? And Pakistan on the edge -that IDSA’s Pakistan Project team prepared
HM: Terrorism should not be glorified,
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said terrorism should not be glorified and patronized by any country. Speaking at the SAARC Home ministers meet in Islamabad today, Mr Singh said, countries should show zero tolerance against any type of terrorism.
He said, one country’s terrorist cannot be a martyr or freedom fighter for another country. He said, mere condemnation of terrorist attacks in Pathankot, Dhaka and Kabul is not enough and all countries must harden their resolve to eradicate the menace.
He said, the will and the mandate of international community against proscribed and wanted terrorists and their outfits must also be respected and implemented. He said, immediate and effective action is required against all those who support or encourage international terrorism in any way, whether they are state actors or non-state.
The Home Minister also drew attention of SAARC member states to the adverse effects of drug trafficking and its abuse. Mr. Singh pointed out that the problem of drug trafficking is also connected with all types of organised crimes.
Earlier, Mr Singh, along with his counterparts from the member countries called on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He was the part of the joint delegation of the Interior and Home Ministers of SAARC nations when they called on the Pakistani Prime Minister at his office. The meeting lasted for about 20 minutes during which only pleasantries were exchanged. Mr Singh has left for India.
Abe, a cabinet reshuffle
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, retained almost half of his ministers in their current positions although controversially appointed Tomomi Inada, the former head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council, to take on the defense minister portfolio replacing Gen Nakatani.
The reshuffle, following his LDP and its coalition Komeito partner expanding their power base in an upper house election in July, marks Abe’s third since he retook power in 2012 and has seen eight of his former 19-member lineup retained in their current roles, including his top spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Finance Minister Taro Aso.
The reshuffle has been pitched at underscoring the prime minister’s intentions to shore up the nation’s stagnant economy via the actualization of the latest installment of his “Abenomics” blend of economic policies and comes on the heels of the approval of a 28.1 trillion yen (277.74 billion U.S. dollar) stimulus package a day earlier.
However, the appointment of Tomomi Inada, the former head of the LDP’s Policy Research Council, as defense minister, replacing Gen Nakatani, was made due to Abe’s ongoing push to expand the operational scope of the nation’s Self-Defense Forces, observers have said.
Inada, whose appointment will draw the ire of Japan’s neighboring countries for her controversial revisionist remarks and options on history, as well as her regular visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine which honors war criminals, will be charged with legislation relating to the SDF’s expanding role, ahead of a possible Abe-led national referendum on amending the nation’s war-renouncing Constitution.
Inada is the second woman to assume the post of defense minister, following the newly-elected Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.
Also retaining their portfolios in Abe’s cabinet are Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Nobuteru Ishihara, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki and Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi.
In a bid to reboot Abe’s economic policy drive, Kozo Yamamoto, one of the key minds behind “Abenomics,” has replaced Shigeru Ishiba as minister for regional revitalization.
Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki has been replaced by LDP lawmaker Katsutoshi Kaneda, who has previously held positions in the Ministry of Finance and as State Minister of Foreign Affairs. Iwaki lost his constituency seat in last month’s upper house election.
Former vice minister of agriculture Masahiro Imamura was selected to replace Reconstruction Minister Tsuyoshi Takagi and the LDP policy council’s acting chairman, Jun Matsumoto, was selected as state minister in charge of disaster management and will also double- up as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission.
In other notable replacements, Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa’s portfolio was handed to Koichi Yamamoto, former senior vice minister of internal affairs and Marukawa will now serve as minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, replacing Toshiaki Endo.
In addition, Katsunobu Kato will continue in his role as minister in charge of policies to deal with Japan’s demographic issues and will double as minister in charge of reform of working practices.
Former senior vice minister of internal affairs Koichi Yamamoto will take over as environment minister and LDP lawmaker Hirokazu Matsuno replaced Hiroshi Hase as education minister and Yuji Yamamoto, who previously served as financial services minister, will replace farm minister Hiroshi Moriyama.
Among changes in the LDP’s executive lineup, as party president Abe opted for Toshihiro Nikai, chairman of the LDP’s General Council, to replace Sadakazu Tanigaki as party secretary general and picked acting LDP secretary general Hiroyuki Hosoda to take over from Nikai.
While Masahiko Komura was kept on as the party’s vice president, Toshimitsu Motegi, the Election Strategy Committee chairman, will replace Inada as the head of the party’s policy council
London knife attack
Ding Xiao)
UK, a woman has died and five others were injured in a knife attack in Russell Square, central London. The man was arrested. The Metropolitan Police say that terrorism is one possible motive being explored. The condition of those injured and the extent of their injuries is not known at present.
A woman was killed and five other people were wounded in a knife attack in central London and the police are exploring the possibility of terrorism, authorities said Wednesday.
Police were called to reports of a man in possession of a knife attacking people in central Russell Square around 10:30 p.m. (2130 GMT).
Officers attending the incident found up to six people injured, including a woman who was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.
A man was arrested and a Taser was discharged by one of the arresting officers, according to London Metropolitan Police.
A police spokesman was quoted as saying that “terrorism is one possibility being explored at this stage.”
The attack came on the same day the Met announced to increase the number of armed patrols in London in face of heightened terror alert.
Met Chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe on Sunday warned that a terror attack in Britain was a case of “when, not if.”
The London attack followed a series of terrorist attacks in France and Germany.
US not to pay Pakistan CSF $300Mn
Pentagon abandon pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a US, official said.
Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad´s unwillingness to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.
“The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the Secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network,” Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday.
The $300 million comes under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defense Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient.
“This decision does not reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over the last two years,” Stump added.
According to Pentagon data, about $14 billion has already been paid to Pakistan under the CSF since 2002.The decision by the Pentagon is a sign that while it sees some progress by Pakistan in its military operations in North Waziristan, much work remains.
Pakistan rejects harboring militants but says there are limits to how much it can do as it is already fighting multiple terrorist groups and is wary of a “blowback” in the form of more terror attacks on its soil.
“(The) Coalition Support Fund is one of the many cooperative arrangements between Pakistan and the United States to pursue common objectives,” said Nadeem Hotiana, a spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in Washington.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan were tested in May by a US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil.
There has been growing resistance in the US Congress to sending money to Pakistan.
Many lawmakers have expressed concern about its nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organizations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process.
In March, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar any US funding for Islamabad´s purchase of $700 million of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter jets.
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