A Faithful Force: Jamaat-E-Islami and Islamist Politics in Pakistan

Beginning with Pakistan's partition from India in 1947 and continuing through the military dictator President Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization campaign, this chapter investigates the historical roots of Islamism in Pakistan until its current iteration. It examines the development of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) from an Islamist party that supported the military to one that represents Pakistan's second generation of Islamists that prioritizes welfare over legal reductionism. The chapter also observes the structure of JI which is both its blessing and its curse. JI was influential during the time of Zia’s Islamist policies and legislative activities. It hasn't come to power directly at the national level as it has not won any elections, but it became part of the coalition governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K.P.K), one of the four provinces of Pakistan.