THIS is apropos of the article ‘An unfinished agenda’ (Dec 12), eulogising the services of the late Iqbal Haider, especially his forum for secular Pakistan to achieve the goal of a secular polity in Pakistan.

With due respect to the indefatigable efforts of the late federal minister and human rights activist, I disagree with secular writers and activists that it is only religion which engenders schism in society and disrupts its cohesion and that secular ideology is the only panacea to end all such ills.

For example, the writer saying that “when the emphasis is heavily on religion, it can spawn a wave of sectarian killings as we see happening today.”

She has ignored the underlying socio - politico - economic causes behind the current spate of killings happening in our country, and ascribes them to religion. This is what I disagree with.

Killing in the name of religion, although reprehensible it is, is because of the malevolent and malignant mindset of the killer and his cohorts, in whatever form they may be, who use religion as a fig leaf to justify their crime.

In other words, it is the spiteful mindset of the peddlers of odious ideologies which accounts for misinterpretation of religion and everything done in its name.

In fact, the ‘unfinished agenda’ in this country is to reconstruct the true spirit of Islam under state patronage and implement it in socio - economic - politico system of Pakistan to marginalise all obscurantist elements, and all vestiges of exploitation in whatever form they may be.

This arduous task demands collaboration among parliamentarians, ulema, academics, legal experts, and scholars of impeccable repute. The sooner we do this, the better as we will put our country on the right track.

ATHER NAVEED Peshawar

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.