AS long as religious groups and political parties are on the same page, the state cannot remain secular and, thus, religious extremism and terrorism cannot be defeated. The PML-N’s main vote bank in Punjab is composed of conservatives and anti-liberal persons. They are not interested in democracy and an open society.

They had opposed the founder of Pakistan and used religion to gain political power. When the federal interior minister and the Punjab minister are openly supporting religious groups involved in the killing of Shias and other citizens belonging to minorities, citizens are reluctant to support any military operation against them.

Engr S.T.Hussain

Lahore

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017