Crisis in Pakistan/Cover Story : The Vertical Split

The deadly terrorist attack on Sufi Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalander on  February 16 and the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed on January 30 look  distant events but together they have rocked the foundation of Pakistan  

Santosh Verma
“Hafiz Saeed should definitely be freed. They are not terrorists, they run a very fine NGO, they contribute to relief activities in post earthquake and post floods periods in Pakistan. They run great welfare organisations,” said Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former dictator and Army Chief. Though his voice does not count much within the Pakistan’s polity, it reflects sentiments of a group of people in the country. On the other hand, while addressing an international security conference in Munich, Germany, Khawaja Asif, Pakistan Defence Minister of Pakistan acknowledged that “Hafiz Saeed”s house arrest was in Pakistan”s larger interest as he can pose a serious threat to the country.” Of course, he was immediately dubbed as ‘India’s mouthpiece’ by Hafiz”s supporters. All this is happening within days of one of the most ghastly attack on one of the most revered Sufi Shrines in the Sindh region followed by the
outcry from civil society organisations against the terrorist attacks.

Neither the blasts on Sufi Shrines nor the house arrest drama of Hafiz Saeed are new for Pakistan, so there is no need to go gaga over any of the Pakistan’s action. The real questions are why Pakistan is so sensitive about this particular attack and why Hafiz Saeed is turning out to be a divisive figure in Pakistan.    
Sufis under Attack
Since 2005, over a dozen incidents of terrorist attacks occurred in Pakistan, especially targeting Sufi Shrines. On March 19, 2005, at least 35 people were killed and many injured when a suicide bomber attacked the shrine of Pir Rakhel Shah in the remote village of Fatehpur located in Jhal Magsi district. Since then, Bari Imam shrine in Islamabad, Rahman Baba Durgah in Peshawar, Golra Sharif on the outskirts of Islamabad, Data Darbar in Lahore Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi. Baba Farid’s shrine in Pakpattan, Punj Peer in Hazarkhwani, Peshawar, the shrine of Kaka Sahib in Nowshera and  Hazrat Baba Shrine at Peshtakhara in Peshawar were attacked in the series. Recently, on June 22, 2016, celebrated qawal (a Sufi singer), Amjad Fareed Sabri was killed in a targeted killing in Karachi. The killing was claimed by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban who accused Sabri of blasphemy. On November 13, 2016, more than 50 people were killed and 102 injured in a bombing at the shrine of Shah Noorani in Khuzdar.
Part of a fresh wave of terror attacks occurring in Pakistan; the February 16 suicide bomb blast on Lal Shahbabaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan killed at least 88, including women and children. The Islamic State (IS) in Khorasan claimed responsibility for this attack – the deadliest in Pakistan since 2014. After this incident, Defence Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Asif at the Munich Security Conference said that Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed can pose a serious threat to the society. This statement and subsequent protests started a
serious debate on Terrorism, Islam and Militancy and more on Hafiz Saeed, his role and status and governments dramatically changing approach towards him and his organisation.
In 2008 itself, Hafiz and his organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa was declared as a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba by the UN resolution. Then also Pakistan performed the same play of house arrest. Now also he was arrested in January last week. Why so much of ruckus after the Sehwan terror attack?
The Most Revered Shrine
The attack is associated with Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, who was a Sufi saint, philosopher and poet born as Syed Muhammad Usman Marwandi, in 1177 A.D. Qalandars, are wandering ascetic Sufi dervishes who may or may not be connected to a specific tariqat, like Lal Shahbaz. The shrine commemorating Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was built in 1356. This is revered by people from Bangladesh to Iran irrespective of their religious affiliation. The shrine’s main attaraction is Dhamaal (Songs honoring famous Qalandars), or meditative dancing ceremony, which is also in center of present contention. Like Dhamal, “Chilla Makus” (Which was a modification of ancient “Hath-Yog”) “Sama” (Music) and “Raak” (Dance) were some of the several practices which were on the targets of fanatic hardliners of Islam from quite early days.
According to Wahabi faith this is an un-Islamic ritual, which has been forbidden.  The faith (shahada) professes, ‘There is no god but the God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God’, any shortcomings would render one an unbeliever or Kafir. Any act or statement that indicates devotion to a being other than God is to associate another creature with God’s power, and that is tantamount to idolatry. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab included popular religious practices like Dhamal in this category that made holy men into intercessors with God. Hafiz Saeed is a contemporary representatives of that narrow minded approach, which is flourishing in Pakistan under the patronage of Government.
While taking the responsibility on Lal Shahbabaz dargah attack, the IS Khorasan, called it a Shia gathering. To Lal Shahbaz devotees, he is neither a Muslim nor a Shia saint. He is a peer, who cannot be constrained by confines of religious boundaries. To the Sindhi Hindus, forming the largest religious minority in the country, he is their peer as much as for Muslims.
Pakistan’s Predicament
Whome to follow, the Wahabi version of Islam or the one propogated by Peers like Shahbaz Qalander is the real dilemma of Pakistan. Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly adopted the ‘Objectives Resolution’ in 1949, declaring the purpose of the state to be to enable Muslims “to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings and requirements of Islam as set out in the Holy Quran and the Sunnat.” But there is a significant question that which interpretation is appropriate? Pakistan emerged through a fragmentation process in the name of Islam, but today there is another type of fragmentation that is taking place under the fold of Islam. Hafiz saeed is the vanguard of the same. Hafiz as a staunch supporter, practitioner and proliferators of Ahal-e-Hadith, the sect that is spreading rapidly with the assistance of petro-dollars and patronage of the Government and Army. People like  Hafiz saeed want to implement a rigid version of sharia, which will in accordance of Wahabi ideology, which meant dragging Pakistan at least a thousand year back and shun all the progress in all fields in the name of purification of Islam.
 Pakistan track record on minority rights has been the worst and recently the entire Islam is under the threat by ideology of Wahabism. After systemic annihilation of Hindus over a period of time, 95 per cent population in Paksiatn adhere to Islam and about 20 per cent of them are from Shia Community. They are  declared as
infidel by various Wahabi clerics, so are the Ahmadiyas, who were ousted from Islam by Constitutional  Amendment in1973. Now, the tension is not limited to Shi’a and Sunni, but creating a serious strife between the Sunni fold.
 So the attack on most revered Sufi shrine amounts to the onslaught on very Idea of Pakistan, that has been tormented for years. Pakistan has taken the decision of punitive action on Saeed and JUD in difficult circumstances, keeping the changing global scenario, particularly in the post-US Presidential elections. Pakistan cannot neglect the attack on such an important place of worship as many people from Punjab, the bastion of Nawaz Sharif led Muslim League, consider it as a holy place. So some action was initiated. At the same time, Pakistan cannot forgo the ideology of terrorism fueled  fundamentalist organisations like LeT  whose Hafiz Saeed is the public face.
Hafiz Saeed enjoys a large fan following which got upset by his recent detention. His JuD (recently renamed as Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir  operates a largest chain of Madarssas in Pakistan. It is estimated that 3.5 million students are enrolled in some 40 thousand Madrassas. Saeed has acquired a messianic repute among this class with tattered economic condition and complete absence secular or scientific education. at the same time exists the willingness to flourish a pluralistic approach within Islam, represented by the visitors of Sufi Shrines. Classes other than Army and clerics have great enthusiasm to a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan, free of
terrorism and religious tensions. The moment Pakistan chooses Shahbaz Qalander over Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan would not remain Pakistan. Otherwise also, people like Hafiz Saeed would not allow Pakistan to exist on the ground of “pure form of Islam”. Either way Pakistan is facing the existential crisis. The debate and protests over Hafiz Saeed’s arrest just underscoring this fragmentation in the offing.
(The writer is a journalist and regular Pakistan watcher)