Conflict Management & Vision for a Secular Pakistan

This book aims to examine the vision for the state of Pakistan as perceived by the founders of the country. It argues that conflicts, particularly those at sectarian and communal levels, can be effectively managed by following a secular approach. This would require the adoption of a secular ‘toolkit’ primarily composed of tolerance, neutrality in religious matters, religious freedom, good governance, and the rule of law. A secular approach does not imply anti-religious thought or practice, rather a neutral and unbiased way of understanding that can be perceived as just and fair. The adoption of non-secular approaches favoured by the various regimes of Pakistan from 1947 until today has augmented the sense of insecurity and instability in the country, particularly among the socially and ethnically marginalized communities. This study argues that the issue of religious militancy and violence can be successfully dealt with by introducing a secular order. It aims to develop a secular approach and mindset that will unshackle the process of conflict management in Pakistan, based on the experience of European, Turkish, Indian, and Indonesian experiments with secularism.