KARACHI, Aug 9 Being economical with the truth when writing history has cost the nation dearly, resulting in a confused state of affairs that has become a breeding ground for extremism and similar destructive principles.

This was the general view put forth by speakers at the launch of noted historian Dr Mubarak Ali's latest book, Pakistan in Search of Identity, here on Saturday.

The programme was organised by the University of Karachi's Pakistan Study Centre, which has published the book, and the S.M. Sohail Trust.

“We have not written history properly. It has been seen through a religious point of view and written with an ideological bias,” said Professor Dr Manzoor Ahmed, rector of the International Islamic University, Islamabad, and member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, in his presidential address.

He said that in the early years after independence, there was no mention of the nazarya-i-Pakistan (ideology of Pakistan). He added that the idea of an Islamic state could not be found in classical Islamic literature.

Prof Manzoor said that the question of identity was a global issue. However, in Pakistan “the logic of contradictions is prevalent”. He said identity is formed by identifying “the other”; in undivided India Hindus were “the other. When the other is removed, sub-identities [sectarian, ethnic] take over”.

The scholar added that it would take time for the concept of Pakistan to evolve into an identity.

Dr Mubarak Ali claimed that 1949's Objectives Resolution had created the foundation for fundamentalism. Giving an example of how history has been (mis)interpreted by 'official' historians, he said Mughal emperor Akbar's role has been distorted while the ruler's contemporary ulama have been depicted as “heroes”.

Dr Jaffer Ahmed, director of the Pakistan Study Centre, said there was a lack of “popular history”, or history written from the view of the people, in Pakistan, while praising Dr Mubarak for his work in this context. “The people are owners of history. Dr Mubarak has taken historiography as a mission. He has a passion for writing the history of the people”.

The scholar commented that the book is meant to stimulate debate and raise questions, while adding that the volume was “radical” even by his institute's standards.

Tauseef Ahmed Khan and Taslim Siddiqui also spoke.