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Islam has always been the motivating force for the Muslims of the

subcontinent. Pakistan was created in the name of Islam. Quaid-e-

Azam had wanted Pakistan to be a democratic state based on the

Islamic principles of social ustice. !he "bectives #esolution of

$%&% was the first constitutional document' which laid down the

Islamic principles on which the (onstitution of Pakistan would be

framed.

In $%)&' the $%)* (onstitution was amended and a clause

incorporated which stated that non-believers in the +inality of

Prophethood were non-Muslims. Islamisation was given a new boost

when ,eneral ia-ul-a/ took over as the (hief Martial 0aw

Administrator on 1uly 2' $%)). ,eneral ia-ul-a/ was a practicingMuslim who raised the slogan of Islam. !he Islamic sentiment has

always been fully alive in Pakistan. 3arious governments have used

this to their benefits. !he reason why ,eneral ia raised the slogan

of Islam is not sure4 whether it was for political purposes to counter

balance 5hutto6s appeal or was it to enforce Islam in its true sense

is not known for sure.

In his first address to the nation' he declared that Islamic laws

would be enforced and that earnest attention would be devoted

towards establishing the Islamic society for which Pakistan had been

created. ,eneral ia wanted to bring the legal' social' economic and

political institution of the country in conformity with the Islamic

principles' values and tradition in the light of Quran and 7unnah to

enable the people of Pakistan to lead their lives in accordance to

Islam.

!he ,overnment of ia-ul-a/ took number of steps to eradicateun-Islamic practices from the country. e introduced the akat'

8shr' Islamic adood and Penal code in the country. Islam is a

complete code of life containing specific teachings about all matters.

All governments should be based on a proper financial system. !he

government of ,eneral ia for this purpose invited eminent scholars

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to compile laws about Islamic financing. !he akat and 8shr

"rdinance to Islamise the economic system was promulgated on

1une 9:' $%;:. It covered only Islamic organizations' associations

and institutions. akat was to be deducted from the account of

every Muslim lying in the bank at the rate of 9 < annually above

the balance of #s.*:::. 8shr was levied on the yield of agricultural

land in cash or kind at the rate of $:< of the agricultural yield'

annually.

,overnment appointed (entral' Provincial' =istrict and !ehsil akat

(ommittees to distribute akat funds to the needy' poor' orphans

and widows. !he 7hias were e>empted from akat deduction from

their accounts. !he akat ta> was to be deducted by the banks onthe $st day of #amzan.

A +ederal 7hariat (ourt was established to decide cases according to

the teaching of the oly Quran and 7unnah. Appeals against the

0ower and igh (ourts were to be presented before the 7hriat (ourt

for hearing. It changed the sentence from' life imprisonment to

e>ecution in the case of blasphemy of the oly Prophet ?Peace 5e

8pon him@.

!he President Muhammad ia-ul-a/ selected his Malis-e-7hoora in $%;:'

the Islamic Parliament to act as the Parliament of Pakistan in place of the

ational Assembly. Most of the members of the 7hoora were intellectuals'

scholars' ulema' ournalists' economists and professionals belonging to

different fields of life. !he 7hoora was to act as a board of advisors for the

President.

A number of other Islamisation programs were carried out including the

teaching of Islamiat and Arabic' which were made compulsory. Pakistan7tudies and Islamiat were compulsorily taught to 5A' 5.7c.' Bngineering'

M.5.5.7' (ommerce' 0aw students and ursing students. +or professional

studies e>tra marks were given to people who were Cafiz-e-Quran6. !he first

"mbudsman was appointed to rectify the misadministration of the +ederal

,overnment' officials and agencies.

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A 7hariat (ouncil consisting of ulema was established to look into

the constitutional and legal matters of the 7tate in order to bring

them into line with Islamic thought. 7ince Islam does not allow

interest' "n 1anuary $' $%;: Muhammad ia-ul-a/ introduced in

the country CProfit and 0oss sharing system6. According to which an

account holder was to share the loss and profit of the bank. !he

media was also targeted' especially the !.3 was brought under the

Islamisation campaign' ews in Arabic were to be read on both !.3

and radio' female !3 announcers were forced to cover their heads

with Cdopattas6' the call for prayers' the Azan' was relayed on radio

and television.

In the armed forces' the status of the religious teachers was raisedto that of a commissioned officer. !his was done to attract highly

/ualified individuals from the universities and religious institution to

serve on such assignments.

As the government grew further in its Islamic leanings' the numbers

of mos/ues were increased. "rdinance for the sanctity of #amzan-

8l-Mubarik was introduced to pay reverence to the holy month of

#amzan. !he "rdinance forbade drinking and eating during the holy

month of #amzan. A three months imprisonment and a fine of 2::

rupees were imposed for violating the ordinance. A program to

ensure the regularity of prayers called the izam-e-7alaat was

launched by ,eneral ia himself.

ia6s ,overnment introduced Dadood "rdinanceE for the first time

in Pakistan' which meant the punishments ordained by the oly

Quran or 7unnah on the use of li/uor' theft' zina and /azf. 8nder

this "rdinance' a culprit could be sentenced to lashing' lifeimprisonment and in some cases' death by stoning.

!he Islamic laws of ia also included the laws for the women. ia

put forward the theory of Cchadar ur chaar devari6 and this was to be

applied to women. !hus' for the first time' a woman could be

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flogged for adultery4 if a rape was reported' & witnesses were to be

provided4 otherwise' legally the rape could be termed adultery.

Another law' Cthe law of evidence6 under the 7hariah laws proposed

that the testimony of a woman was not e/ual to that manF in legal

matters' two women would have to stand witness against the

testimony of one man. !he status of women was thus arbitrarily cut

in half by ia. !here was little consensus amongst Muslim

authorities over this law. !he lack of consensus among the re$igious

authorities combined with countrywide protests forced ia to hold

back on making the 7hariah law the law of the country.

!he most important achievement of ia6s ,overnment was the

implementation of reforms to introduce the Islamic system in the country.,eneral ia-ul-a/ wanted to make Pakistan the citadel of Islam so that it

could play an honorable and prominent role for the Islamic world. !he steps

taken by ,eneral ia were in the right direction and had long-term impacts'

the akat ta> introduced by ,eneral ia still holds and so do many of the

other laws. ,eneral ia set Pakistan on the right track of Islamisation.