The Ideological Struggle for Pakistan

Since its inception in 1947, the idea of Pakistan has been a contested one. Today, as the country finds itself on the defensive against an array of groups claiming to wave the banner of Islam, it must counter their ideology decisively. This assessment of the struggle for Pakistan's identity, from its birth to the present day, provides a political and cultural understanding of the role and use of Islam in Pakistan's evolution. The author, a Pakistani scholar, shows clearly how Pakistan's viability as a state depends in large part on its ability to develop a new and progressive Islamic narrative.