An interesting debate

This refers to the article, ‘The art of the possible’ (January 24) by Feisal Naqvi. The writer wrote that liberals should be grateful for the existence of institutions like the Federal Shariat Court, and the Council of Islamic Ideology. According to the writer, these institutions act as a dead end for Islamic causes because they do nothing of significance, thus not harming the liberal cause.

His opponents – Salman Raja, Afiya Shehrbano and Babar Sattar – believe that there is no point in appeasing Islamists by praising the role of institutions like the FSC and the CII because the presence of these institutions are clearly not enough for them to bring about an Islamic system of their liking. According to them, liberals already have very little space to shape the national narrative. By appeasing Islamists, they will not become milder but liberals will further lose whatever little space is left to them.

Akbar Jan Marwat

Islamabad