Adil Najam
Dear Readers,
While All Things Pakistan has remained alive and online, it has been dormant since June 11, 2011 - when, on the blog's 5th anniversary, we decided that it was time to move on. We have been heartened by your messages and the fact that a steady traffic has continued to enjoy the archived content on ATP. While the blog itself will remain dormant, we are now beginning to add occasional (but infrequent) new material by the original authors of the blog, mostly to archive what they may now publish elsewhere. We will also be updating older posts to make sure that new readers who stumble onto this site still find it useful.
We hope you will continue to find ATP a useful venue to reflect upon and express your Pakistaniat. - Editors
is this 18th amendment going to help the poor to buy a kg of sugar on rs22 or this 18th amendment will let the light(electricity) i mean there will no load sheeding (sorry my spellings a bit weak) a liter gasoline will be provided at a lower price i am with you brother if no then useless these politicians are just making fun of us and nothing more
If a state declares a religious holiday, is it a secular state?
If a state permits opening of any affairs of state with prayer, is it a secular state?
If a state permits the oath of office to be officiated on a religious book of the office holder, is it a secular state?
If a state’s law do not reference but also do not contradict the religious laws, and further mirrors the religious laws of the majority of the people, is it a secular state?
If a state permits tax abatement to religious institutions, is it a secular state?
If a state allows display of religious symbols on state property, is it a secular state?
If a state has religious symbols in it’s flag, is it a secular state?
If a state has the unified the head of the church and the head of the state in the same person, is it a secular state?
If a state supports religious schools through taxation of believers, non-believers, atheists and agnostics alike, is it a secular state?
Curious?
@ readinglord
Thanks.
As for your question:
“My question is: Can a democracy countenance such a provision which pontificates on the faith of a section of the citizens?”
I have already written:
No amendment in an Islamic constitution will change the system of government from Islamic to Democratic.
Even if we revert to the original 1973 Constitution, it is Islam that will be ruling the state and not the people.
The preamble of the constitution starts with
“Whereas sovereignty over the entire Universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust;”
The famous ”The Objectives Resolution” is already contained in the above. The first amendment was to define the boundary of a particular branch of Islam so that any Muslim out of this boundary could be declared non-Muslim. A group has been already ousted, some others will follow in future.
In my opinion the only salvation is in a Secular Constitution where religion has nothing to do with the state (affair) and state (government) has nothing to do with the religion.. The citizens are free to choose their own religions. This will be a good start for Democracy.
The irony of the matter is that this particular presence of the religion in the State and the Politics was initiated and enhanced by the secular leaders of Pakistan.
AHsn
Strasbourg (France)
ahsan@noos.fr
Does anyone know when all these amendments come into effect? Immediately, I assume?
Mubarakbad Pakistan. This was a historic achievement certainly.