For several decades since independence, Pakistan has been struggling with issues of religious extremism. The country, predominantly Islamic in its constitution, has witnessed the rise of several extremist groups in these decades. The government of the nation is also unable to contain the spread of extremism. As a result, the country is facing several negative consequences for religious rigidness and extremist behaviours.
- One of the most prominent consequences that have come to light in the recent past is:
Terrorism or terrorist attacks, - sectarian violence
- persecution of religious minorities.
Notably, the issues have taken a violent turn in the recent past. The populations of the various areas and communities of the nation have turned intolerant and violent. International experts claim that incidents of violence and intolerance have increased lately. However, the issue was not present in the initial years of Pakistan’s nationhood. The country got their independence in 1947. At the time, a secular government was leading the nation
The initial politicians and political leaders were not predominantly Islamic. However, in the later years of the 1950s and the early 1960s, the politicians and powermongers started using religion to consolidate their rule. As a result, the political parties began becoming popular in the country, and Islam became a dominant religion.
In the 70s, the country saw a military coup led by Gen Zia-ul-Haq in 1977. Pakistan shifted to a more Islamic lookout, and extremism started gaining prominence under the general’s regime. The administrator implemented the Sharia Law. In the following decade, the extremist groups recieved support from the government. Meanwhile, the country became the front-runner in the 1990s cold war.
In the following decade, after 9/11, Pakistan emerged as an ally of America in its fight against terrorism. The government led by Gen Pervez Musharraf began to crack down on extremist groups. However, these efforts did not bear any real fruit. The extremist organizations still function in the country almost two decades later.
The prominent names in terms of the religious extremist groups are Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The wave of violence and intolerance has profoundly impacted the country’s society and politics. Meanwhile, The government of Pakistan is taking steps to encounter and deal with the issues of religious extremism. They have passed several laws and introduced many legislations to counter the problem.
These include: Preparing a National Action Plan to counter terrorism,
Creating a counter-terrorism force among other areas of work.
