Orthodox Moslems Oppose Pakistan's Left-Wins

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32117, 13 October 1969, Page 18

Orthodox Moslems Oppose Pakistan's Left-Wins

(NZ.r.A.-Xtuter—CopvrigMJ KARACHI. A potentially explosive situation is developing gft Pakistan, a fervently Modem country, betwttn the orthodox and th* Left-wing. The socialists have ism»d a strong challenge Ito' the Pakistani social Ipnder, which allows a handful of rich families to control 75 per cent of corporate and industrial wealth. "This is a revolution that has only just begun,” said a former Foreign Minister, Mr Zulficar All Bhutto, during the riots that forced the abdication of President Mohammed Ayub Khan last March. Now, however. Rightist leaders are calling upon the faithful to reject Mr Bhutto’s brand of socialism in the name of the Islamic faith, to which over 90 per cent of the 125 million Pakistanis adhere. The extreme Right-wing orthodox Jamiat - i - Island (Party of Islam) has backed a new Rightist grouping called the Pakistan Democratic Party. The Democratic Party spokesman, Mr Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan promptly urged “Islam-loving forces” to unite against the Socialist challenge. Support in Law Observers think that the Right-wing may have been encouraged by its interpretation of a new martial law regulation promulgated by the

President, General Agha Mohammed Yaha Khan, which would punish anyone alleged tohfiWMid anything effete rive to Islam. General Yaha, the Army chief, continues to rule bjt the marttai law imposed when he took over the country after Marshal'-AYub Khan's abdication. Subsequently General Yaha, who insists that his administratton is Impartial toward* rival political parties, has reinewed a pledge that everttually the Army will return to barracks, after supervising general elections. But, he said, a ballot will take a year to 18 months to arrange after the leaders of Pakistan’s 13 wrangling political groups have agreed upon a new constitution. Since the parties are as far as ever from such accord, this, in political notebooks, adds up to at least another two years of military rule. There is, however, a marked resurgence of political activity in spite of army orders that, although indoor conventions may be held, mass ralliers are prohibited.!

Enthusiastic Crowds Mr Bhutto, aged 42, who is chairman of the People’s Party, was cheered early in August by large crowds on a 14-day West Pakistan tour. The crowds prompted the

military Government to warn that such wayside gatherings violated the ban on public meetings. “In future, authorities will take immediate cognisance of such violations,” said an announcement from General Yaha’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. Mr Bhutto’s activities may have influenced the Right

wing into stepping up it* appeal to the faithful to reject Socialist doctrine*. Under t President Yaha’s new martial law regulation nobody, on pain of up to seven year* hard labour, may “by words either spoken or intended to be read, make or publish any statement which is offensive to the religion of Islam . . . .” President Yaha’s ban last July on a book about Islam by a Pakistani scholar, Dr Fazlur Rehman, was also hailed by the orthodox. Dr Rehman had suggested that Islam’s holy book—the Koran—was not, word for word, God’s message dictated to the prophet Mohammed by the angel Gabriel. The riots which flared last year against Dr Rehman showed what can happen when religious passions are aroused.