AS campaign season shifts into high gear, the mudslinging between and against candidates can be expected to get quite intense.

A brief dose of what may lie ahead was witnessed on Thursday, when a video of the visit of PTI chief Imran Khan — accompanied by his wife — to the shrine of Baba Farid Ganjshakar in Pakpattan went viral and sparked a feeding frenzy on electronic and social media.

The debate was over the fact that Mr Khan and his spouse knelt down and kissed the doorsill of the saint’s tomb, one of the most revered Chishty dargahs in the subcontinent. Many TV anchors and clerics were quick to pass judgement, condemning the move as a violation of religious edicts, with some saying the former cricketer was unfit for leadership.

It must be said that religious issues are solely between man and his Maker, and should not be dragged into politics. While much may be fair in elections, politicians’ personal and family lives, along with their religious beliefs and practices, should not be the subject of public discussion. Mr Khan has a right to express his religious beliefs freely, and it is not acceptable for others to condemn him, or any other politician, on confessional matters.

Visits to dargahs are a part of this region’s culture; from the common man to prime ministers, many flock to pirs, shrines and holy men as part of their religious convictions. In fact, the tradition of kings and rulers seeking the blessings of Sufi saints in South Asia is centuries old.

In Pakistan’s context, Benazir Bhutto was known to visit pirs, while Asif Zardari is also said to have consulted a holy man while in the presidency. The Sharifs, too, often pay homage at Data Darbar in Lahore.

Therefore, there is nothing strange about a politician visiting a shrine. Whether the various practices witnessed at shrines are orthodox or heterodox is a matter for theologians to discuss; they should not become part of campaign rhetoric.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2018