Sir — This refers to the article, “Islamists flourish as Pakistan languishes” (December 24) by Hiranmay Karlekar. The writer meticulously traces the genesis of fundamentalist Islam in the Pakistan Army and predicts that it could set the path for an ominous though moderate form of Talibanisation in the administrative structure of the country itself.
However, it is submitted that the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan should be seen in the contextual setting of the Cold War, wherein religious fundamentalism was encouraged as a foreign policy strategy primarily by the US in Muslim countries to counter the spread of the ‘godless’ communist worldview spearheaded by the erstwhile Soviet Union.
It is doubtful whether Islamic fundamentalism could have permeated the ideological core of the Pakistani military establishment without the moral, financial and institutional support of external actors.
With the world today accepting religious fundamentalism as among the root cause of modern-day terrorism, it is unlikely that Islamic fundamentalism within the ranks of Pakistani institutions will get the support of other nations.
Any attempt by Pakistan to latch on to religious obscurantism will leave it isolated and make it a pariah in the eyes of the international community.