Abstract

Role of religion in state discourse is an old age phenomenon for the politicians. Constitutional secularism solved some issues yet the significance of religion in human perception cannot be minimized. For Pakistan’s constitutional development, the main question was not only about the acceptability of the role of Islam but also the kind of Islam to be established and extent of its influence into state system. The use of Islam as a political force with varying intensity has remained a frequent practice in Pakistan by civilian leadership as well as the military rulers. Their objectives behind that practice were, to acquire legitimacy, to strengthen their political positions and to consolidate their vested interests. The legacies about the establishment of political identity of Muslims in Sub-continent which was primarily, based on Islam played a critical role in post-partition period in Pakistan - especially in manifesting the politics and power claims of various political parties and groups. The underlying study aims to explain the relationship between religion and politics in Pakistan since its inception and, to seek the role of religion in the constitutional development with reference to the use of Islam as a political instrument. The research concludes that not a single serious effort was made to incorporate the spirit of Islam in the constitution rather everything was politically motivated which has its own repercussions.