The fragile fabric of Pakistani unity |
One of Pakistan's longest-standing challenges is forging unity amid its vast sectarian, ethnic and regional diversity. From Sunni and Shia sects to Punjabis, Sindhis, Pashtuns, Baloch and others, the quest to blend these identities into a cohesive whole has often faltered. Ironically, both Islam and Pakistaniat — the twin pillars of national identity — have weakened over time, pulled apart by political instrumentalisation, neglect and exclusion. Both could still act as binding forces but this requires leaders whose vision has not been blurred by institutions, sects and parties they are heading.
Islam was meant to be the spiritual and ethical glue that binds Pakistanis across sectarian lines. Instead, since the late 1970s, the state's policies have often reduced Islam to a political weapon. Zia's Islamisation drive was not just about law and ritual; it was about consolidating power by privileging certain sects and narratives over others. This sectarian statecraft sowed division, weakened Islam's universal moral appeal, and created fault lines that persist........