RELIGIOUS AUTHORITARIAN ENCLAVES AND THE CRISIS OF DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper discusses how widespread religious authoritarian enclaves in Pakistan have influenced the democratization in the country. Though democracy was the aspiration since independence, political history of Pakistan shows that it has been interrupted by authoritarian practices that are coexisting with its democratic framework. Within such enclaves, religious enclaves are amongst the most persistent, based on constitutional provision, religious power and ideology. It uses qualitative content analysis of constitutional texts, political speeches and secondary scholarship in tracing how religious enclaves came into existence, how they have been consolidated over the years through the witnessing of the Objectives Resolution and subsequent adoption of the 1973 Constitution, and how the enclaves have further been entrenched by General Zia-ul-Haq during his Islamization project. The analysis shows how these enclaves compromise parliamentary sovereignty, inhibit pluralism and minority rights, and legitimize hybrid regimes. The findings suggest that unlike military or feudal enclaves, religious enclaves derive their strength not only from institutional positioning but also from ideological legitimacy, making them more durable and difficult to reform. The article concludes by emphasizing the urgent need for separating religion and politics in order to strengthen democratic consolidation in Pakistan.

Keywords: Religious Authoritarian Enclaves; Pakistan; Democracy; Hybrid Regimes; Islamization; Objectives Resolution; Clergy; Pluralism; Authoritarianism