Pakistan Studies

Iman Khurram Khan 18u00231

Assignment 6

Section B

Highlight the policies by Zia ul Haq for the inclusion of religion in country’s economic and

political affairs.

Ans: After Bhutto’s death, Zia ul-Haq, president since 1978, settled to the task of redesigning a

political system for Pakistan. He believed that religious tradition should guide Pakistan’s

institutions. After the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Zia’s beliefs were

strengthened that only by following Islamic practices could the Muslims living in Pakistan and

Afghanistan find common ground in their struggle to survive the battering from such an enemy.

Islamization therefore became the regulatory principle in Zia’s agenda to transform Pakistan

and reassure its unit in terms of both foreign and domestic matter.

Sensing an Islamic rebirth amongst Islamic nations, Zia ul-Haq had no hesitation in promoting a

political system guided by religious principles and traditions. He called for criminal punishments

that were in accordance with the Islamic law and emphasized banking practices and activities

that followed Islamic law.

Zia established separate Shariat judicial courts and court benches to judge legal cases using

Islamic principle. New criminal offenses (of adultery, fornication, and types of blasphemy), and

new punishments (of whipping, amputation, and stoning to death), were added to Pakistani
law. Interest payments for bank accounts were replaced under the name of "profit and loss"

payments. Zakat charitable donations became a 2.5% annual tax. School textbooks and libraries

were revamped to remove un-Islamic material.

Apart from that, offices, schools, and factories were required to provide a praying space. Zia

encouraged the influence of the ulama (Islamic clergy) and the Islamic parties, whilst

conservative scholars became features on television. Conservative ulamas were also added to

the Council of Islamic Ideology.