Since 1947, we have been passing one bill after another to ‘Protect’ Islam without ever bothering to follow its spirit in terms of tolerance, equality and piety. The latest is the Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill. None of these holy bills could prevent the Muslims of Pakistan to become the greatest issuers of dubious and fake pilot licenses, gun licenses, driving licenses and college degrees. In fact almost any document of the Islamic Republic is now seen with suspicion and requires endless counter signatures, stamps, affidavits and attestations. None of these holy bills could also prevent Pakistan to fall at just about the lowest rung of all human development indices.
Why is Islam in such danger only in Pakistan? One gets an impression that this drama is repeatedly enacted to appease a retrogressive section of religious leaders who wish to keep Pakistan in dark ages. Pakistan must make laws that unite its people and not fragment them – for it is the responsibility of the state to ‘Protect’ its people, and not its religions. Religions are best ‘protected’ by the ethical, tolerant, pious and progressive practices of its followers and not by any appeasement or coercive laws.
PS: As if Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill was not destructive enough to destroy cohesion between various religious schools of thought, the Lahore (LHCBA) Lawyers demand Ahmadis be barred from sacrifice. Next they will demand Shias be banned and surely next will be various shaded of Sunnies, till only LHCBA is left in Pakistan who are entitled to cut goats and cows. https://www.dawn.com/news/1571686?fbclid=IwAR2I_ZexvQ-byO4MfxUM97Klx3J1q6gqSoA8aruhizqq_0twteMMdEFCo_8