Presidents Ayub Khan and Pervez Musharraf, on the other hand, were very supportive of the cultural practices not overly imbued with ideology that helped in institutionalising it. It crushed those who saw Pakistani culture as an organically evolving process that refused to be tagged exclusively to a religiously driven ideology. In Sindh, culture was promoted in an apolitical manner to appease the Sindhis riled up against the elimination of ZA Bhutto. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s definition of culture was limited to fashion shows so that the Prime Minister’s House and the embassies abroad showcased Pakistan ‘culture’ through catwalk spectacles. As the acme of enlightened moderation, cultural practices were pitched as opposite of extremism.

Source: The Nation January 30, 2022 00:03 UTC