Response It was Gen Ziaul Haq who had started making the Pakistan Army a true Islamic Jehadi Force when he assumed the office of the Army Chief in 1976. This concept was developed further when he became Chief Martial Law Administrator and the President of Pakistan after military coup of July 1977. Mosques were already there in all the field and staff units of army but got re-built, expanded and decorated with special grants of budget under his directions. The Commanding officers, even of the
highest ranks of Generals, started offering prayers in the front lawns of their offices extending invitations to all around including their security and communication staff. Special supply orders were placed for lotay, caps, chappals, mats, tasbeehs and the holy Quraans for all mosques of army units everywhere. In the same Ziaul Haq era, all unit Imams were given free summer and winter uniforms comprising of white Qameez-Shalwars, Peshawari Chappals, black jackets, black Sherwani and Jinnah Caps. They were made part of a new army unit of Khateebs starting from the basic rank of Naib Khateeb with an equivalent rank of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO). They were promoted to higher ranks at par with other army ranks as Khateebs and
Khateeb e Aala etc. Orders were conveyed to convene regular competitions for Qirat and Naat Khawni at all levels. At all formation headquarters a regular post of GSO grade II was sanctioned with necessary staff and budget to handle those religious affairs. They had to be having beard and expert in delivering sentimental Islamic sermons. Likewise, at Corp Headquarters there was given a sanctioned post of GSO grade I and those General Staff Officers were to be in army uniforms like other army ranks. In GHQ Rawalpindi a new Directorate of Religious Affairs was established under control of an officer with brigadier rank. This Directorate still convenes annual competitions of Qirat and Naat Khawni at the highest level, gives
away prizes and trophies to the top winners. Free hajj for selected officers and jawans every year is also arranged, funded and controlled by the same directorate. . Gen Ziaul Haq brought the Islamic traditions in, generally guided by JI which created an opponent class within ranks based on sectarian beliefs. On the other side an altogether new group emerged in the army declaring themselves the flag bearers of Islamic Jihad. This phenomenon gave birth to another wave of pan-Islamic ideology meaning thereby that Pakistan Army would look after the whole Islamic world at the cost of its own borders and nationalism. Thus the professionalism moved away from ranks and Islamization filled the vacuum till Pakistanis entered the Afghan War, the most controversial move in the history of Pakistan army, in 1980s. Gen Ziaul Haq had started that war but still we are suffering it.
