Islamisation Under Zia-ul-Haq

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Topic: Process of Islamisation under Zia-ul-Haq — a dedicated deep-dive covering the motives behind it, the steps/laws introduced, and its impact on Pakistani society.

CSS relevance: 🔥 One of the three must-know Zia-era topics the instructor flags (with the 8th Amendment and the Afghan jihad). Expect direct questions on Hudood laws, motives, and the social impact (sectarianism, extremism).

🗺️ Three-Part Structure

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I. Motives Behind the Process of Islamisation

1. Social stability through a cohesive Islamic framework

• The aim was to create social stability by promoting Islamic principles as a cohesive framework for Pakistan's diverse population.
• Tied to the Objectives Resolution (1949): if a state founded to let Muslims live by Islamic teachings never implements that goal, the founding purpose is undermined. Zia framed Islamisation as fulfilling this original national goal.

2. Gaining popularity among conservative/religious segments

• Zia was not an elected leader and had no popular legitimacy; he ruled through a military coup.
• He used Islam to win over conservative groups, the rightist vote bank, and religious parties.
• This also served to consolidate his political power and suppress dissent from the secular and left-wing opposition (since he had overthrown a left-leaning PPP government).

3. Legitimising and strengthening his rule after the 1977 coup

• Coming to power through a coup, he needed legitimacy. He drew close to right-wing/religious parties for political strength, and later used Islam as the basis of the 1984 referendum to secure that legitimacy.

4. Gaining support for resistance against Soviet forces in Afghanistan

• After the 1979 Soviet invasion, Zia needed to mobilise people religiously (in the name of jihad) for the Afghan resistance, which accelerated the Islamisation process after 1979.

Dr Nasiruddin's five reasons (cited from research)

The lecturer cites Dr Nasiruddin's research paper, "Impacts of Zia's Islamisation on Pakistani Society", listing five major reasons:

1. Wave of Islamic revivalism in the region, driven by three key incidents:
   • 1979: Soviet troops enter Afghanistan — seen across the Islamic world as communism seizing a Muslim country, making jihad obligatory.
   • The Iranian factor: the Shah's government fell, and Imam Khomeini's Islamic Revolution (sect-based) sent alarm bells through the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Anti-Shia/Sunni-based groups intensified their own "revival" to prevent the revolution's influence from spreading.
2. Islam as the "sheet anchor" of all Pakistani regimes — since the 1949 Objectives Resolution, successive governments used religion as a base for legitimacy; Zia followed this established pattern.
3. The Nizam-e-Mustafa movement/campaign factor:
   • The PNA (opposing Bhutto in the 1977 election) rallied around the slogan "Nizam-e-Mustafa" (the System of the Prophet), alleging Bhutto's election win was rigged.
   • Zia "cashed in" on this popular slogan once in power, to capture the same support base and build a power base tilted toward religion.
4. Crisis of legitimacy — Zia knew he had come to power through an undemocratic (military) process, so he sought legitimacy through religion, most visibly in the 1984 referendum.
5. Political expedience:
   • Bhutto had used "Islamic Socialism" as a slogan (Friday holiday, the Second Amendment on Ahmadis); Zia wanted to revive and extend that spirit, both to capture Bhutto's vote bank and to weaken his political legacy.
   • Zia believed implementing an Islamic economic and justice system would win favour with religious groups, so he supported the Nizam-e-Mustafa movement.
   • Ayub's secularism/socialism had "failed"; Zia saw an Islamic system of justice as the way to solve problems of inequality and corruption — the lecturer notes this carried a genuine, well-intentioned dimension alongside the political one.

Additional motive: the Afghan jihad and US alignment

• The 1979 Soviet invasion made Pakistan a frontline state. Zia sought support from the entire Islamic world, as the USA badly needed people willing to fight the USSR.
• He used religious sentiment to mobilise fighters for jihad, aligning with American-funded jihad and achieving both American and Pakistani strategic goals.

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II. The Process/Steps of Islamisation

1. Hudood Ordinances (1979) — "first time in Pakistan's history" such laws were implemented

An effort toward an Islamic system of justice. Included:

• Muslim Family Laws Ordinance amended with Islamic provisions.
• West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat Application) Act 1962 amended.
• Family Courts provisions amended.
• Enforcement of Hudood, 1979: covering theft, adultery/fornication (zina), and hurt/injury.

2. Law of Evidence → Qanun-e-Shahadat (1984)

• The colonial Evidence Act was converted into Qanun-e-Shahadat, per Islamic provisions.

3. Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act

• Amended.

4. Punishment of Whipping Ordinance

• Introduced lashes/whipping as a punishment — previously absent from Pakistan's Penal Code.

5. Qazf and Hudood Ordinance (1979) — the most controversial

• Qazf: if a person makes an accusation (e.g. of zina/rape) and cannot prove it in court, the accuser can be punished.
• ⚠️ Devastating impact on women: many women who reported rape but could not prove it (see witness requirements below) were themselves charged and punished under Qazf for making a "false accusation." This caused enormous controversy and outcry.
• Prohibition Ordinance: banned alcohol and any intoxicant use.

Nature and punishments of Hudood laws

• Claimed to be based on the Quran and Sunnah; applied to drinking, adultery/zina, theft, and qazf (false accusation).
• If hadd (the Islamic legal standard) was established, punishments could include lashing or death by stoning.

The evidentiary problem (heavily criticised)

• A woman's testimony was counted as half that of a man's, and four witnesses were required to prove rape.
• These witnesses had to be of "tazkia-tul-shuhud" standard (impeccable character) and had to have personally witnessed the act.
• A woman unable to produce four such witnesses would see her rape case dismissed, and the accused acquitted; she could then be charged under Qazf for a "false accusation" — leading to her own punishment.
• This created a pattern of double jeopardy: the woman suffered the rape, and then legal punishment for failing to meet an almost impossible evidentiary bar.

6. Federal Shariat Court

• Established (as covered in the 1973 Constitution notes, Article 203C).

7. Zakat and Ushr Ordinance

• Government began automatically deducting Zakat (2.5%) from bank accounts above the nisab threshold, on the 1st of Ramzan, regardless of how long the money had been deposited.
• Ushr department created, for agricultural land owners to pay Ushr on their produce.

8. Qisas and Diyat Ordinance

• Qisas: retribution equal to the harm done (life for life, injury for injury).
• Diyat: blood money — if the heirs of a murder victim agree, they can accept compensation instead of pursuing the death penalty.
• ⚠️ Heavily criticised: influential/powerful people who committed murder often used political influence and social pressure to force victims' families to accept diyat and settle, effectively allowing them to escape justice. The lecturer notes this pattern continues to be seen in recent cases.

9. Other Ramzan and religious observance measures

• Sanctity of Ramzan Ordinance: eating/drinking in public during Ramzan fasting hours was banned; shops, restaurants and hotels closed; violators were arrested and jailed.
• Prayer facilities established in government offices.
• Salat Committees created, with Nazim-e-Salat appointed at the mohalla level to remind people of prayer times.

10. Education & curriculum

• Compulsory teaching of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat.
• The school curriculum was overhauled: "secular" content removed, religious content added.

11. Institutional changes

• Majlis-e-Shoora established (a hand-picked, nominated body, replacing Parliament's role, as covered in the Zia Regime notes).
• International Islamic University, Islamabad established.
• Ulema and religious leaders honoured, given elevated status and brought close to government, including consultative roles.
• Degrees from religious madaris were formally recognised by the state, qualifying holders for government jobs.
• Hafiz-e-Quran (those who memorised the Quran) were given 20 extra marks in competitive exams.
• Seerat Committee established at the government level; national Seerat conferences held.

12. Media & cultural censorship

• Strict censorship of television and drama for nudity; an undeclared censor ensured nothing offended religious sensibilities.
• Alcohol banned from government houses, official messes and government receptions; manufacturing, sale, transport and possession of alcohol were declared crimes.
• Promotion of the Arabic language and Quranic injunctions, and observance of Islamic etiquette at private and formal gatherings.
• Purging of "secular" figures from state media (radio, TV, Press Trust), replaced by religiously-minded personnel — effectively creating a monopoly of a particular school of thought over state media.
• Non-party elections and the 1984 referendum are cited here too, as part of this broader control pattern.
• National language given dignified status.

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III. Impact of Islamisation on Pakistani Society

A balanced starting point

The lecturer stresses a two-part evaluation:

1. The Hudood laws themselves, as a matter of religious principle and social reform intent, are not something a believing Muslim would object to — society genuinely needed reform against crime, alcohol, gambling, adultery, etc., and their positive social aims were appreciated at the time.
2. The criticism is about the political motive and, especially, the flawed implementation — not the underlying laws themselves.

Positive effects (briefly)

• Attempts to control crime, restrict alcohol, gambling, adultery, and similar social ills, which were appreciated by segments of society.

Negative effects (the focus of the lecture)

1. Sectarianism

• Zia drew close to a particular school of thought (maslak), which tried to enforce its own version of Shariah, provoking other schools of thought.
• The country split along Sunni–Shia lines, leading to sectarian violence: attacks on mosques, imambargahs, Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions, Muharram processions, and assassinations of religious figures on both sides.
• ⚠️ This sectarianism, born in the Zia era, continues to be suffered today.

2. Militancy and religious extremism

• Militant sectarian outfits emerged: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Sipah-e-Muhammad, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan, and (opposing them) Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
• Religious parties developed armed wings, leading to inter-group violence and killings on a religious basis.
• Some religious groups have evolved into non-state actors, creating law-and-order challenges for the state and for rival religious groups alike.

3. Threat to the status of women

• The Qazf/Hudood evidentiary requirements (four male witnesses, testimony weighted at half) meant rape victims routinely could not prove their case, and were themselves punished under Qazf — a severe human rights violation.
• The Women's Action Forum (WAF) protested vigorously against this, both nationally and internationally, but serious reform of implementation problems did not follow during Zia's tenure.

4. Undemocratic trends

• The 1984 referendum, which asked a question about Islamisation and used a "yes" vote to confer a 5-year presidential term, set an undemocratic precedent for gaining public office — conflating a referendum with an election.

5. Intolerance among religious leaders and institutions

• Intolerance grew among religious groups and madrassa institutions, further fuelling division.

6. Weaponisation of society

• The jihad culture, promoted through curriculum and madrassa recruitment for the Afghan war, brought weapons culture into everyday society.
• Before 1979, weapons in Pakistan were typically simple (12-bore shotguns, axes, sticks). The jihad culture introduced a Kalashnikov culture, driving up violence and crime.

7. Drug culture

• While alcohol was banned, the Afghan jihad introduced a heroin culture (previously, opium was more common), spreading widely and increasing the use of lethal, hard drugs in society.

8. Terrorism

• Beyond sectarian violence, general terrorist activity increased: bomb blasts became more common.
• Long-term fallout of the Afghan war: the FATA and KP regions became politically unstable, as did parts of Balochistan — a legacy that persists through the Taliban factor to this day.

Conclusion of the lecturer

• The religious/legal content of the Hudood laws, viewed as fulfilling a Quranic and Sunnah-based obligation, is not itself objectionable to a believing Muslim — the intent to reform society is sound in principle.
• But Zia's political use of Islamisation, and especially the flawed implementation, left Pakistan with lasting problems: sectarianism, terrorism, intolerance, weaponisation, and drug culture — effects society has not yet fully overcome.

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📊 Key Figures at a Glance

⚠️ MCQ Traps

• Hudood laws were enforced in 1979, the first time such laws were implemented in Pakistan's history.
• Qazf is the offence of a false accusation; it is distinct from Zina (adultery/fornication) and Hadd (the punishment standard).
• Qanun-e-Shahadat replaced the Evidence Act in 1984, not 1979.
• Rape convictions required 4 male witnesses of the act itself — a woman's testimony alone, or without four such witnesses, could not secure a conviction and could instead trigger a Qazf charge against her.
• Diyat = blood money/compensation; Qisas = retribution (equal harm). They came together as the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance.
• The International Islamic University, Islamabad was established under Zia's Islamisation programme.
• The lecturer's five motives (Dr Nasiruddin's research) should not be confused with the general four motives discussed earlier in the lecture — both sets are examinable, but distinguish "motives" from "Nasiruddin's five reasons" if asked to cite a source.
• Sectarian militant groups: Sipah-e-Sahaba and Sipah-e-Muhammad/Tehreek-e-Jafaria (opposing sides), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

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✍️ Model Answer Outline

Q. Discuss the process of Islamisation under Zia-ul-Haq and evaluate its impact on Pakistani society.

1. Introduction: Islamisation as one of the three defining features of the Zia era, alongside the 8th Amendment and the Afghan jihad.
2. Motives:
   • social stability / fulfilling the Objectives Resolution's promise
   • legitimacy for an unelected military ruler
   • capturing the religious/conservative vote bank and the Nizam-e-Mustafa movement
   • support for the Afghan jihad against the USSR
   • political expedience versus Bhutto's legacy.
3. Steps:
   • Hudood Ordinances (1979): zina, qazf, theft, prohibition
   • Qanun-e-Shahadat (1984)
   • Qisas and Diyat Ordinance
   • Zakat and Ushr Ordinance
   • Federal Shariat Court
   • curriculum changes, compulsory Islamiat/Pakistan Studies
   • institutional changes (IIUI, Majlis-e-Shoora, Seerat Committees)
   • media censorship, alcohol ban, Ramzan sanctity laws.
4. Impact:
   • positive: intent to curb social evils
   • negative: sectarianism, militancy/extremism, threat to women's status (Qazf/Hudood evidentiary problems), undemocratic precedent (1984 referendum), weaponisation, drug culture, terrorism, FATA/Balochistan instability.
5. Conclusion: a balanced verdict — the religious intent is not objectionable in principle, but the political motives and flawed implementation left deep, lasting scars on Pakistani society.

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🧠 Self-Test Questions

1. What were the main motives behind Zia's Islamisation programme?
2. List Dr Nasiruddin's five reasons for the Islamisation programme.
3. What were the Hudood Ordinances, and when were they enforced?
4. Explain the Qazf Ordinance and why it was so controversial for women.
5. What evidentiary standard was required to prove rape/zina, and what problems did this create?
6. Distinguish between Qisas and Diyat, and explain the criticism of the Diyat Ordinance.
7. What changes were made to the school curriculum under Islamisation?
8. Name three institutional changes introduced as part of Islamisation.
9. What is meant by the "weaponisation" and "drug culture" impacts of this era?
10. How did Islamisation contribute to sectarianism in Pakistan?
11. In what sense does the lecturer distinguish between the religious content of the Hudood laws and their political/implementation problems?

⚡ 60-Second Revision

Motives: social stability/Objectives Resolution fulfilment; legitimacy for an unelected ruler; capture conservative/religious vote bank; Nizam-e-Mustafa movement; Afghan jihad support post-1979; Iranian Revolution's sectarian alarm; "Islam as sheet anchor" tradition; political expedience vs Bhutto's Islamic Socialism legacy • Steps: Hudood Ordinances 1979 (zina, qazf, theft, prohibition; 4 witnesses, half-weight testimony); Qanun-e-Shahadat 1984; Qisas and Diyat Ordinance; Zakat and Ushr Ordinance (2.5%); Federal Shariat Court; compulsory Islamiat/Pakistan Studies; curriculum overhaul; Majlis-e-Shoora; International Islamic University Islamabad; ulema patronage, madrassa degree recognition, 20 extra marks for Hafiz-e-Quran; Seerat Committees; media censorship, alcohol ban, Ramzan sanctity law; 1984 referendum • Impact: positive intent (curbing crime, alcohol, gambling) vs negative fallout — sectarianism (Sunni–Shia, Sipah-e-Sahaba/Sipah-e-Muhammad/Lashkar-e-Jhangvi), militancy/extremism, threat to women (Qazf/Hudood evidentiary flaws, WAF protests), undemocratic precedent (1984 referendum), intolerance, weaponisation (Kalashnikov culture), drug culture (heroin), terrorism, FATA/Balochistan instability • Conclusion: religious intent not objectionable in principle; political motive and flawed implementation left lasting damage

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Next lecture: Political culture in Pakistan, 1988–1999.