CAUSES AND IMPACTS OF ISLAMIZATION UNDER ZIA UL-HAQ (1977-1988)

Abstract

The political turmoil in Pakistan led to the implementation of General Zia Al-Haq's Martial Law administration on July 5, 1977. During Zia Al-Haq's rule (1977-1988), Islamization received a fresh impetus. He began an all-encompassing plan to rid the Pakistani state and society of anything that wasn't Islamic. The legal-constitutional, socio-economic, and educational institutions of Pakistan were all up for consideration in his programme of Islamization. The country adopted the tenets of the Zakt -'Ushr ordinance, the Islamic udd, and the Penal code. As part of the process of Islamizing the economy, riba was abolished and P&L accounting were introduced in banks. In addition, he rechristened parliament as Majlis Al-Shr, and he established the Federal Shar'at Court, the Shar'at Appellate Benches, and the Shar'ah Council. Some of the social changes made by Nizm-e-Mutafi include the promotion of women wearing headscarves (chadar) and the enforcement of gambling laws. Television and radio broadcasts deemed incompatible with Islam were censored, and the reading of the Arabic news was made mandatory. President Zia's Islamization initiatives had as their proclaimed goal the creation of a fully Islamic state in Pakistan. Those who disagreed with his policies saw this as an opportunity to boost his political standing.