Religious identity, nationalism and State: Competing political narratives in Pakistan
IANS
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August 22, 2026 8:41 PM
Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) Pakistan's political identity has always contained a tension: It was created as a homeland for South Asian Muslims, yet emerged as a territorial state with borders, institutions and a constitutional order. That tension becomes sharper when examining radical Islamist organisations that place the religious community, or 'ummah', above the nation-state. It is important, however, not to confuse this ideological position with the views of Pakistan’s Muslim majority or mainstream religious scholars, many of whom reconcile Islamic identity with Pakistani citizenship and patriotism.
