THIS refers to the column ‘Freedom of belief’ (March 10). The Holy Quran, the foundation of Islam, envisions a society in which all people could freely express and practise their respective faith and where believers and non-believers live together. The Quran does not preach coercion or elimination of non-believers.

The writer quotes many surahs and verses in support of the fact that faith is a personal matter and an individual right; no one, including the state and the government, can intervene or interfere in it.

At the end he writes: “It is quite evident from the Quran that Islam has a pluralist vision with a variety of faiths co-existing with each other.” These surahs and verses stipulate for a state/country to be secular.

Accordingly, I do not agree with the chief justice of Azad Kashmir, when he makes the offering of prayers a condition for promotion and salary increment.

Mazhar Saeed

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2017