Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Imran Khan is undoubtedly one of the most polarizing politicians in Indian subcontinent drawing either extreme praise or extreme hatred from different constituents. Many doubt the legitimacy of the elections that made him the Prime Minister of Pakistan and others believe that he is a mere “puppet” in the hands of Pakistan’s immensely powerful “establishment” – a term used collectively for Pakistani Army and Pakistani intelligence agency – ISI. And yet there are many others, who are willing to give him the chance to clean up Pakistan of the mess that has been accumulating there over last four decades that has virtually destroyed the social fabric of Pakistan and completely wrecked the economy of once prosperous nation. And even greater is a question of how the people of Kashmir are going to react to cataclysmic social and political changes happening in Pakistan, which are in response to problems that are common to both Pakistan and Kashmir valley.
The individual stories of Pakistan and Kashmir valley have baffling similarities. Both were, once upon a time very modern looking, secular, progressive and liberal Muslim majority regions with happy and integrated religious and sectarian minorities and a very progressive and liberal societal attitude towards women. This was the time when both Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim men and women did not wear their religiosity on their sleeves. Superficial external manifestation of religion like long beards for men and middle eastern head covering for women were non-existent during this time and so were absent, other conservative religious norms and yet both Kashmiri Muslims and Pakistani Muslims were not considered “lesser Muslims”. In fact, Sufi Islam and its derivatives like Hanifis and Barelvis thrived and blossomed in both Kashmir valley and Pakistan. Even religious and sectarian minorities like Shias, Ismailis, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians lived happily in Pakistan and Kashmiri Pundits, Hindu Khatris and Sikhs lived peacefully in Kashmir valley.
But then things changed very drastically. The advent of President Zia Ul Haq, who was of Indian Mohajir origin to the throne of Pakistan in a military coup changed every thing in Pakistan and had profound ramifications in Kashmir as well. The policy of Islamization – a conservative interpretation of social norms and political governance that President Zia introduced and imposed in Pakistan to strengthen his hold over power thrusted his country towards disastrous Afghan jihad that resulted in huge influx of drugs, refugees and guns from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The policy of Islamization in Pakistan also slowly destroyed societal tolerance for religious and sectarian minorities and very soon Pakistan’s Shias, Sufi followers, Ahmadiyas, non-Muslims and liberal and progressive Muslims found themselves at the receiving end of the growing tide of violent religious extremism and radicalism that has been sweeping through Pakistan in last four decades.
Things were made worst by the proliferation of hundreds of non-state actors that were promoted by the Pakistan’s “establishment” or those which came up on their own. These non-state actors have in last four decades spread their tentacles in neighboring regions of Pakistan, including Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan, Chinese East Turkestan and of course Kashmir valley. More alarmingly, these non-state actors have also created a complete chaos within Pakistan where they have been not only targeting Shias and non-Muslims but also Sufi shrines and liberal and progressive Pakistani Muslims.
When viewed in this light, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s flurry of administrative actions against Pakistan based non-state actors after Pulwama carnage is something that must be appreciated by everyone. By banning Hafeez Syeed’s Jamat-ud-Dawa and his charitable organization – Falah-i-Insaniyat; by banning Hafeez Syed from giving Friday religious sermons and by arresting hundreds of JuD workers, clerics etc., Prime Minister Imran Khan has indeed sent a strong message against forces of religious extremism and supporters of violence.
One may argue that Pakistan is only doing an “eye wash” to save itself from being put in a “black list” by Financial Action Task Force or that the proscribed organizations of Pakistan despite being banned will operate under another name etc. One may even argue that Pakistan should also take a concrete action against Maulana Masood Azhar for his role in Pulwama carnage. These are indeed valid points and Imran Khan’s administration must take actions against all proscribed organizations with full honesty and sincerity because the scrutiny of the world today is far more stringent than any time in the past and there is no tolerance for any kind of fraudulent behavior especially when Pakistan very badly needs financial assistance to tide over its economic crisis. Prime Minister Imran Khan must however be given a benefit of doubt for his actions.
The million-dollar question for the people of Kashmir however is -whether they also want to emulate in Kashmir, what Prime Minister Imran Khan is doing in Pakistan – that is to uproot the deep percolation of social conservatism and religious extremism that has been happening in Kashmir valley for last three decades, which has resulted in an alarming level of intolerance against religious and sectarian minorities, spread regressive thinking and conservative attitude towards women and which has attacked the very edifice of Kashmiri Sufi Islam.
Elderly people would vouch that Kashmir valley of today does not look or behave like that of 1960s & 70s, when Kashmiri society was far more liberal and progressive than it is today. Such is the dangerous levels of extremist and radical thinking today that pretty much every thing including traditional Kashmiri songs, dances, rituals, festivals etc. are under attack from radical puritan forces and except for complaining in private, Kashmiri people hypocritically remain silent at Kashmir’s rapid decline towards medieval era Taliban like social order.
If a Muslim majority Pakistan under Prime Minister Imran Khan can work towards cleaning Pakistan of this mess, what stops the people of Muslim majority Kashmir valley from doing our own cleaning of our society of the radical, extremist and intolerant elements and to bring back the good old, liberal, progressive and secular Kashmir once again.
Javaid Beigh is a Political Activist and aspiring Politician, who has worked as PRO to Ex CM of J&K. He can be reached at javadbeigh123@gmail.com
