Musharraf’s so-called “enlightened moderation”

• By: G M Lakho

  General Pervez Musharraf’s so-called “enlightened moderation” totally failed to erase religious bigotry, extremism and fanaticism even from paper, yes, even from paper, i.e., from the Constitution of Pakistan. In this regard, please remember the words of General Zia on the Constitution of Pakistan. Yes, the poison of religious bigotry, extremism and fanaticism is rooted in the Article 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan, wherein it is written that “Islam shall be the State Religion of Pakistan.” The first step was to root out the constitutional roots of such poison by repealing Article 2 and then enacting that Religion shall have nothing to do with the business of State; and that the Parliament shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Be that as it may, now, General Pervez Musharraf has resigned; and the point of concern is that till writing of these lines no political party sitting in the Parliament of Pakistan has deemed it fit and proper to even point out such a poison. So the conduct of the political parties sitting in the parliament is cruel and doubtful. How does the State Religion of Pakistan help to root out such poison? Even no one from Bush Government has publicly pointed out the constitutional roots of such a poison; so the question of rooting it out does not arise at all. Thus Religious Terrorism will continue to live with full force. Now, it is the time to SAY NO TO THE STATE RELIGION OF PAKISTAN. Now, it is the time to amend the Article - 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan in the befitting manner saying that religion shall have nothing to do with business of the State. If the present Parliament of Pakistan, at first, succeeds to purge that poison out of the Constitution; only then, it can be said with sure, that such act would help us to further flush it out of our society. There is no other constitutional, non-violent and peaceful way to deal with such poison.

  This comment was published on August 19, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. in The Washington Times