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Causes of General Zia Ul Haq's Islamization Program

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 History of International Relations Sessional
Assignment

Causes of General Zia Ul Haq’s Islamization Program

Submitted To:

Dr. Nabarun Roy

Department of International Relations,
South Asian University, New Delhi India

Submitted By:
M. Dawood Mohammadi
SAU/IR (M)/2017/06
(3057 words, excluding Cover Page, Footnote, Contents & Bibliography)

Date: 16/11/2017
 Contents
Causes of General Zia Ul Haq’s Islamization Program ...................... 1
1.1- Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2-Who was General Zia Ul Haq? ........................................................................................................... 1
1.3-What is Zia’s Islamization? ................................................................................................................ 2

2- What Caused Zia’s Islamization? ..................................................... 3

2.1- Social Disorder and Dis-Integration: ................................................................................................. 3
2.2-A Threat from Political Opponents..................................................................................................... 3
2.3- To Revive State Identity: ................................................................................................................... 4

3-Islamization & the Rebirth of State Identity: ................................... 5

4- Conclusion: .......................................................................................... 6
5- Bibliography: ....................................................................................... 6
 Causes of General Zia Ul Haq’s Islamization Program
1.1- Introduction
On August 14th, 1947 the Indian subcontinent was divided by the British and a new state was
established with the name of Pakistan and under the ideology of Islam. The creation of Pakistan
was the product of long freedom struggle of Muslim leaders in the subcontinent, inspired by the
Two Nations Theory, which meant that Hindus and Muslims were two different and separate
nations whose understanding about life was entirely different from each other. Thus, they
demanded an independent state for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Indian Muslims feared that
after the independence of India from Britain, the Hindu majority would dominate them. Although
the founder of Pakistan M. A. Jinnah argued that ‘the new state will be for Indian Muslims, it will
be a secular state where the members of the new nation will have equal rights of citizenship
regardless of their religion, caste or creed.’ In 1971 the partition of Pakistan also demolished the
credibility of Two Nations Theory, this incident brought identity crisis to state, and Pakistan was
considered a fragmented society in international discourse and media. The revival of ethnic-
nationalistic politics in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh under questioned state
integration and national identity. Over and above, the emergence of sectarian conflict among Sunni
and Shia sects, a zero tolerance towards Ahmadies and number of other political issues in the post-
1971 era posed a risk to State stability. To extricate itself from such a situation, the army under the
leadership of General Zia Ul Haq was compelled to coup d’état against Z. A. Bhutto’s elected
government.

General Zia Ul Haq, as Chief Martial Law Administrator, accused Bhutto of misusing power
and corruption and hanged him and arrested his daughter, wife and other Pakistan People’s Party
(PPP) leaders. He allied with mainstream religious parties to strengthen and legitimize his regime
and used it against the influence of Pakistan People’s Party. General Zia launched an Islamization
program and reformed the electoral, economic, judiciary, education, and military systems. He used
this agenda for the national integration, preserving state’s identity, excluding and outcasting his
political opponents –PPP- from the political scene.

1.2-Who was General Zia Ul Haq?

Zia Ul Haq was born on 12th August 1924. His father Ali Akbar was a religious man who
emphasized on his children to follow Islamic pattern in their lives. Zia got commissioned in the
army in May 1945. He held various command assignments during his career in the Pakistan army.
Zia was lastly promoted to the rank of full General in March 1976 and was appointed as Chief of
the Army Staff. On 5th July 1977, he dissolved Bhutto’s Government and imposed Martial Law in
the country. Zia tightened his grip on the government after Bhutto was executed on charges of
attempted murder in 1979. Zia postponed political parties’ activities in that year, prohibited labor
strikes, censored the press, and declared Martial Law in the country which was end in 1985. He
reacted to the Soviet Union’s assault of neighboring Afghanistan in 1979 by embarking on a U.S.-
financed military support. General Zia also attempted to widen his base of support and worked for
the Islamization of Pakistan’s political and cultural identity. He died in an airplane crash on 17th
August 1988.

1
 1.3-What is Zia’s Islamization?
Islamization aka Shariatization is the process of bringing someone or something under the
influence of Islam or Islamic rule. Or it is a process of society's shift towards Islam, such as found
in Sudan, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, or Algeria (Dictionary, n.d.).

In 1977, when General Zia Ul Haq overthrew the elected civilian government of Z. A. Bhutto,
immediately announced himself as CMLA, and within days started the Islamization of institutions.
He promised to establish an Islamic state and enforce Shariat1 law (Haqqani, 2005, p. 120). Hassan
Askar Rizvi in his book, Military, State and Society in Pakistan comprehensively analyzed Zia’s
Islamization program. He stated that “Islamization main focused was regulative, punitive and
extractive and Zia little attempt to bring socio-economic equality under Islamic law.” He divided
Zia’ promotion of Islamization into following steps:

“1- The formation of Council of Islamic Ideology, to advise the government to Islamize the
polity and adjust existing laws with the spirits of Quran and Hadith. 2- Constitutional amendment
to set up a special Shariat bench in each of the four Provincial High Court and Appellate branch
in Supreme Court. One year later the Shariat bench replaced Federal Sharia Court. 3- In 1979,
Hudood2 Ordinance issued to enforce an Islamic punishment for several crimes. This ordinance
covered the punishment of sex-related, theft of property, possession of Alcohol and prohibited
drug. According to this ordinance, the punishments were imprisonment, lashing, financial
penalties, amputation of the right hand for the theft and stoned to death for adultery and rape. 4-
In the banking sector, a new interest-free system introduced. Investors encouraged to follow
Islamic modes of investment, i.e., Musharika and Modarba. 5- In 1980, a mandatory tax called
Zakat enforced, which applied to savings accounts and other investment at the rate of 2.5% per
annum. 6- Higher education curriculums were also revised according to Islamic teaching. In the
prominent Quaid Azam University, Sharia Faculty inaugurated, and a separate Islamic University
with the financial support of Gulf countries was established in Islamabad. Zia promised a separate
university to women 7- The school’s curriculum was also revised and emphasized on Islamic
Principles and teaching of Ideology of Pakistan. 8- Media and press were compelled to reflect
orthodox Islamic values. Various cultural activities – dance, women’s sports, and women’s stage
performance- were discouraged. Women TV announcers and anchors were ordered to cover their
heads. 9- The tradition of obligatory prayers breaks during working hours was started in
government institutions and encouraged other non-governmental offices to follow the same path.
10-According to 1979 constitutional amendment, Ahmadis were considered non-Muslim. Zia’s
regimes prohibited them from the using of Islamic identity, symbols, and titles (Rizvi, 2000, pp.
170-73).”

1
Shariat: Islamic canonical law based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of the Prophet (Hadith and
Sunna), prescribing both religious and secular duties and sometimes retributive penalties for lawbreaking. It has
generally been supplemented by legislation adapted to the conditions of the day, though the manner in which it
should be applied in modern states is a subject of dispute between Muslim traditionalists and reformists.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/sharia
2
Hudood: Islamic laws stating the limits ordained by Allah and including the deterrent punishments for serious
crimes. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hudood

2
 2- What Caused Zia’s Islamization?
The emergence of every phenomena and development has some factors behind. There were
many causes to the occurrence of Islamization agenda in Pakistan. In the following section, I shall
explain the three main motives of Zia about Islamization.

2.1- Social Disorder and Dis-Integration:

From the early days of the independence movement, many Muslim and nationalist leaders
were opposed to the partition of the subcontinent (Hamdani, 2009); (Khan, 1969). A close friend
of the Mahatma Gandhi, the member of Congress Working Committee, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan,
demanded an autonomous state for Pashtuns. The creation of Pakistan did not solve the problems
of its citizen, but a new wave of grievances arose. The ethnic-nationalist movements of Bengalis,
Pashtuns, Sindhi, and Baluchi started against the domination of Punjabis and Urdu-speaking
migrants from northern India in military corps and civil bureaucracy (Haqqani, 2005, p. 21). In
consequence of this discrimination by Punjabi and deprivation of minorities, Pakistan was
disintegrated in 1971, and East Pakistan, later called Bangladesh, became an independent state in
South Asia. Pakistan from the beginning was an artificial state which consisted of different cultures
and ethnicities. Although the commonality among the majority citizens of Pakistan was Islam,
even Islamic nationalism could not save this inorganic nation from disintegration.

During his period of Prime Ministership, Z. A. Bhutto faced with several challenges. ‘His
coalition party leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan, broke alliance with central government and
designated his government illegitimate. In response, Bhutto banned Khan’s National Awami Party,
its leaders arrested and their Provincial government in Balochistan dismissed. In 1973, after a
failed coup planned against Bhutto, several military officers were arrested. In March 1977, the
election result was denounced by the Pakistan National Alliance – a coalition of religious and
secular political parties- and claimed that rigging had taken place. Mass demonstrations and
agitation against the Bhutto government started (Ahmed, 2013, pp. 207-17). Apparently, due to
such civil unrest Zia overthrew Bhutto government and prisoned Bhutto, but Mazhar Ali argued
that historically in Pakistan such military coup happen only “to defend military’s institutional
interests (Aziz, 2008, p. 79).”

According to Surendra Chopra,“Zia saw Islam as the only remedy for the nation's ills and
raison d'etre of the state as well as the unity and strength of the nation” (Chopra, 1993, p. 21).
Although coup temporarily contained civil unrest, within a year public agitation started against Zia
regime. He immediately announced the date of election but did not fulfill his promise. He
announced Pakistan an Islamic and theocratic where the president is not objectionable. He used
Islamic card to defend his dictatorship, relaxed civil disorder and invite people to follow his Islamic
orders.

2.2-A Threat from Political Opponents

General Zia was aware of the charismatic characteristics of Bhutto that how he managed and led
a mass demonstration from 1968 to 1970, against General Ayoob Khan’s regime (Noman, 1989,
p. 31). In the first day of the coup -5 July 1977- Bhutto and his cabinet members were arrested,
but on 29 July he was released from prison. Zia announced that he would hold an election within

3
90 days, but later he changed his decision. Bhutto traveled around the country, spoke to the public
and led thousands of people to rally. The military junta was worried by Bhutto’s mobilizations and
made a plot against him in the case of murder and on 3rd September, Bhutto was rearrested and
sentenced to death (Tanveer, 2004, p. 224).
A prominent Pakistani military scientist Ayesha Siddiqa argues that ‘Zia skillfully used
Islamization card and religious and ethnic parties -Islami Jamhoori Itehad and Muttahida Quami
Movement-, to counter the influence of PPP in its stronghold Sindh province (Siddiqa, 2017, p.
102).

Zia formed a new coalition of political parties called “Islami Jamhoori Itehad” to contain the
influence of PPP and their mass agitation against the regime. Religious parties like, Jamaat-e-
Islami, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (P) and other small groups joined the government and supported
Zia’s Islamization program (Allah, 2014, p. 15). Although Bhutto also enforced some Islamic laws
and barred the drinking and selling of wine by Muslims, nightclubs and horse racing and declared
Ahmadis non-Muslim, his steps of Islamization could not save him from the objections of religious
groups. He was a secular politician, but due to mass criticism by religious parties he changed his
party slogan from “Food, Shelter, Cloth” to “Islam is our faith, democracy is our policy, and
socialism is our economy.” After the coup, Bhutto’s Islamization attempts, Islamic Socialism and
nationalization policy criticized by were Zia(Tanveer, 2004, p. 226) and religious parties and
declared that socialism is a Kufr and is not suitable to the spirit of Islam.
In August 1979, the amendment of Political Parties Act by Zia compelled political parties to
register with Election Commission and to “provide details of their fundings and expenditures and
to publish their formal manifesto.” With this amendment, he tightened his grip on political parties
and excluded PPP from the registration due to its un-Islamic belief of socialism. Zia thought that
‘the localization of politics would minimize the significance of PPP (Siddiqa, 2017, p. 101).’ In
1981, Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Z. A. Bhutto established an eight parties coalition -
Movement for Restoration of Democracy– ‘to force a free and fair election and to end Martial Law.
This alliance was a threat to Zia’ regime, military junta worried about the revival of widespread
support of PPP (Haqqani, 2005, p. 138).’ Zia Motivates his allied religious parties to denounced
the legitimacy of PPP party and declared socialism as a Kufr. Zia later announced that he would
share government power with local body and election would hold on non-party base. But the result
of the election was very astonishing, and majority PPP’s sympathizer won the seats.

Zia often did fail attempts to used Islamic card against his political opponents to exclude and
isolate them from the political scene of Pakistan. But his steps did not minimize the significant
role of Pakistan People’s Party in country politics.

2.3- To Revive State Identity:

The creation of Pakistan as an independent state in 1947 was the result of decades-long
struggles, debate, and divisions among Muslims in British India about their shared future.
Although Pakistan was created a separate land for the Muslims of the subcontinent, there is still
no Islamic government established. The ideology of Pakistan was the basis of an Islamic state, but
from the early days of independence, this nation faced with the identity crisis. Jinnah portrayed his
vision about the future of Pakistan that ‘will be a homeland for the Muslim and democratic state
4
where Hindus will have the same rights as Muslim (Pervez A. Hoodbhoy, 1986).’ The Jinnah such
vision undermines the national identity of Pakistan and brought many debates about the future of
statecraft and identity, which delayed the formation of constitution till 1956.

The secession of East Pakistan – Bangladesh- in 1971 had a psychologically disconcerting

effect on citizens of the country. Serious doubts arose about the Two Nation Theory, Ideology of
Pakistan and Statehood and National Identity of the State. A new quest for national identity tended
to reaffirm Islam as a national source of salvation in the 1970s and 1980s. Then Prime Minister of
India Indira Gandhi claimed that the independence of Bangladesh killed the Jinnah’s Two Nations
Theory. So to avoid the crisis of national identity, General Zia launched an Islamization to revive
the Ideology of Pakistan.

3-Islamization & the Rebirth of State Identity:

The creation of Pakistan on the base of Islamic ideology was a critical juncture in the
contemporary political history of the world. It was the first state created in the name of religion -
not ethnicity or language. Islam became the state national identity. Indian Muslim leaders proposed
the idea of Two Nations, stated that the Muslims and Hindus of the subcontinent are different in
their beliefs, values, opinions, and way of life. In a post-partition era, Jinnah reversed from faith-
based nationalism and supported Pakistani nationalism“ where non-Muslim will equally have
rights (Allana, 1947).”

Farzan Shiekh in her book Making Sense of Pakistan shows doubt about the Pakistan’s identity
and argues that “Pakistan is a state burdened with a negative identity shaped by the circumstances
of Partition (Suroor, 2009).”Husain Haqqani stated that “Zia launched a program for “Islamizing”
his own country, which had confronted an identity crisis since being carved out British India in
1947…. Zia hoped to end that debate once and for all. He Islamized Pakistan’s laws…. (Haqqani,
2005).” Pakistan is an artificial, not natural state, consisting of different cultures, ethnicities,
religions, and language which undermined the nature of nationhood of the country. The nation's
inorganic structure and the dominance of particular ethnic in the military and civil bureaucracy,
provoked other ethnic groups to protect their rights and even demand an autonomous and separate
land. These movements led by Pashtun, Sindhi, Bengali and Baluchi leaders. The grievances of
these were not heard by the establishment of the country which leads to the secession of East
Pakistan.

The partition of Pakistan In 1971, arose questions about the Two Nations Theory and The
Ideology of Pakistan. Zia became the president of inherently volatile Pakistan, and his concern
was to remodel the state identity and Two Nations Theory through Islamization program. His
ambition for the revival of state identity influenced by Maulana Maududi, philosophy of Islamic
statecraft (Ahmed, 2013, pp. 221-235). Maududi was the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, a Zia allied
party. The liberal and secular politics also weakened the state religious identity. ‘Religious groups
start a propaganda that the ideology of Pakistan is under threat of seculars and atheistic socialists
politics. Later Islamic scholars of different schools under the guidance of Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) issued a joint fatwa and declared socialism and atheism as a Kufr (disbelief). The
primary target of this declaration was the secular Awami League and socialist PP parties (Haqqani,
2005, p. 55).’ General Zia believed that Pakistan without religion would collapse. In December
1981 he said: “Pakistan is like Israel, an ideological state. Take out the Judaism from Israel, and it

5
will fall like a house of cards. Take Islam out of Pakistan and make it a secular state; it would
collapse.” (Saleem, 2017, p. 23)

An ideological state such as Pakistan is required to implement its ideology. Hence Zia Ul Haq
launched Islamization program to renew state’s obscured identity. Aliva Mishra asserts that ‘the
state-sponsored Islamization aimed to solve the problem of state ideology and identity which
occurred due to the clash of liberal and orthodox values since independence’ (Mishra, 2012). Zia’s
comprehensive Islamization program was ideologically motivated and was expected to create a
truly Islamic society in Pakistan’. As Such, it was designed to reform every aspect of Pakistani life
according to Islamic principles. To achieve a national identity for Pakistan, Zia revised schools
curriculum and emphasized on the teaching of the Islamic tenets and Ideology of the state.

4- Conclusion:
Every nation has its particular identity which brings the sense of nationess and oneness. This
identity distinguishes them from others and creates an idea of “We” and “Other.” Muslim League
leaders used the Ideology of Pakistan and Two Nations Theory to make the Muslims of India aware
of their difference and distinctions from the Hindus.

Pakistan as an artificial state created its identity on the base of religion which did not live long
and collapsed after the independence of Bangladesh. Although scholars find various factors related
to the Zia Islamization program, as I explained in previous pages, for me, the primary factor was
to revive the national identity of the state. Pakistan is a heterogeneous and mixed community which
consists of different ethnicities, cultures, and language. They do not have any shared history,
literature, traditions, and cultures to bond them as a nation except religion. About 95% Pakistanis
are Muslims so that only religion can bond them. The state identity dimmed due to the liberal and
orthodox conflicts over state’s laws and structure and succession of Bangladesh. General Zia Ul
Haq was born in a religious and conservative family and had the high religious inclination.
Therefore, he launched an Islamization agenda to rebirth the identity of the state.

5- Bibliography:

Ahmed, I., 2013. The Pakistan Military in Politics: Origins, Evolution, Consequences. An Indian Edition
ed. New Delhi: Amaryllis.
Allah, H. K., 2014. VYING FOR ALLAH"S VOTE - Understanding Islamic Parties, Political Violence
and Extremism in Pakistan. 1st ed. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.
Allana, G., 1947. Muhammad Ali Jinnah's first Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of
Pakistan (August 11, 1947). [Online]
Available at: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_jinnah_assembly_1947.html
[Accessed 05 November 2017].
Aziz, M., 2008. The Military Control in Pakistan. 1st ed. New York: Taylor and Francis.

6
 Chopra, S., 1993. Islamic Fundamentalism and Pakistan's Foreign Policy. India Quarterly, 49(1-2), pp. 1-
36.
Dictionary, O., n.d. English Oxford Living Dictionaries. [Online]
Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/islamization
[Accessed 03 November 2017].
Hamdani, Y. L., 2009. Maulana Maududi’s Role Against Jinnah’s Pakistan. [Online]
Available at: https://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/maulana-maududis-role-against-jinnahs-
pakistan/
[Accessed 04 11 2017].
Haqqani, H., 2005. PAKISTAN BETWEEN MOSQUE AND MILITARY. 1st ed. Washington Dc: The
Brookings Institution Press.
Haqqani, H., 2005. Pakistan's Great Divide, Chicago: BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS.
Khan, K. A. G., 1969. My Life and Struggle. 1st ed. Delhi: Hind Pocket Books.
Mishra, A., 2012. Islamic Fundamentalism in South Asia - A Comparative study of Pakistan and
Bangladesh. India Quarterly, 68(3), pp. 283-296.
Noman, O., 1989. Pakistan and General Zia: Era and Legacy. Third World Quarterly, 11(1), pp. 28-54.
Pervez A. Hoodbhoy, A. H. N., 1986. Rewriting the History of Pakistan. In: A. Khan, ed. Islam, Politics
and the State: The Pakistan Experience. London: Zed Books, pp. 164-177.
Rizvi, H. A., 2000. MILITARY, STATE, AND SOCIETY IN PAKISTAN. 1st ed. NEW YORK: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Saleem, R. M. A., 2017. STATE, NATIONALISM AND ISLAMIZATION - Historical Analysis of Turkey
and Pakistan. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Siddiqa, A., 2017. MILITARY INC. Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. 2nd ed. London: Pluto Press.
Suroor, H., 2009. Making sense of Pakistan’s identity crisis. [Online]
Available at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/Making-sense-of-Pakistanrsquos-
identity-crisis/article16575538.ece
[Accessed 05 November 2017].
Tanveer, K., 2004. ISLAMIZATION IN PAKISTAN: A Political and Constitutional Study From 1947-
1988. PhD. Thesis ed. Karachi: University of Karachi.

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