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The Islamic political parties have considerable influence on the politics of Pakistan. These Islamic political parties are parties that follow the principles of Islam. They are not mainstream political parties. However, the number of their supporters is significant. In the recently held general elections in Pakistan, Islamic political parties suffered a heavy defeat. Whether this is good or bad, brainstorming has started in Pakistan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has a record of 167 parties registered at its office. 25 of them are Islamic parties. That means they are working for some element of Islam. Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e Labbaik-Pakistan, Majlis-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, and Jamait Ulema-e-Islam Nazryati are some of the major parties among them. The performance of these parties in the election was the same. However, their influence on the public mind remains.
Jamaat-e-Islami is fairly inclusive. However, JUI (F) and TLP are focusing on Deobandi and Barelvi Sunni elements, respectively. MWM represents the Shia community. Thus, the vote bank of the Islamic parties was not created due to the focus on limited social elements.
Pakistan has four provinces. Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. About 75 percent of Pakistan’s population lives in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. There is little presence of Islamist parties in these two provinces. In the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Islamic parties have seized power six times in the past. However, this year’s election is an exception. The TLP seems to be spread across Punjab and Sindh. This is the result of this election in their eyes.
According to the report by Gallup Pakistan, Islamic parties got 22 percent of the votes in this election. The TLP has emerged as the fourth largest party after Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistan-backed independents, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Islamist parties got an average of five percent of the vote. Their vote percentage seems satisfactory. However, they have failed to convert the votes received into winning seats. The main reason for this is the failure to add new voters.
Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has played an important role in the retreat of Islamic parties. Imran Khan’s party seems more liberal. However, on the inside, he and his supporters seem to be cultivating Islamic values. Imran had created a dilemma for the Islamic parties by announcing that Pakistan would be a ‘Medina State’. ‘Medina State’ means a state that operates according to Islamic ideology. As the voters got a new hero in the form of Imran Khan, naturally they seemed to have ignored the Islamist parties.
Experts in Pakistan expect that Islamic parties should pay attention to comprehensive development as well. These experts believe that if Islamic parties emphasise comprehensive development and not just indulge in religious practices, they can see ‘good days’ in the future. Â
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