Fazl Mahmood Fazli, former head of Afghanistan’s Presidential Affairs Office, wrote in a recent note that Pakistan remains trapped in a deep national identity crisis.
This crisis stems from the contradiction between religious ideology and the secular structure of government.
According to Fazli, Pakistan’s founding intellectual basis was built on religious teachings and Deobandi scholars’ views, but the country’s civil laws remain a legacy of the British colonial system.
He emphasized that within Pakistan’s power structure, religious national identity is always stressed, yet in practice, many Islamic advocates’ behavior contradicts religious values.
Fazli added that Pakistan must transparently decide on what basis it wants to be defined. He called on Pakistani intellectuals to act more responsibly and understand the historical roots of Pakistan’s formation.
According to him, until this issue is resolved, no real progress will be possible in Pakistan.
