Pakistan's Frontline Status, War on Terror and the Jama'at-E-Islami Response. (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nazar, Mudasir
• Is Part Of: South Asia research. Volume 36:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 143
• Page End: 166
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Anti-Americanism -- drone attacks -- frontline status -- geopolitics -- Jama'at-e-Islami -- minorities -- nuclear nationalism -- Pakistan -- secularism -- War on Terror; South Asia -- Periodicals; 954.0072
• DOI: 10.1177/0262728016638715
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0262-7280

Abstract

How Islamic parties in South Asia respond to the global 'War on Terror' (WOT) and politicise related issues remains largely covered in press reports, which are often not in English. This article seeks to analyse the responses of one influential Pakistani Islamic party, Jama'at-e-Islami (JI), as a leading voice of protest. It provides evidence that engagement with WOT has reactivated JI and has become a political commodity for Islamists in Pakistan, feeding hopes that they will play a larger role in future governments in Pakistan. However, there are also signs that such hopes will remain unrealistic if JI does not distance itself from extremism and curbs Islamists' terrorist activities.