ABSTRACT
The world of Islam has emerged from colonial domination only to confront persistent meddling by the West. Islamic states emerged in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan but with little in common. The period of intense Islamization under General Zia ended and was replaced with a regime with radically different characteristics including more liberal politics and a woman as a leading national figure. Following the death of General Zia in 1988, many of the innovations and restrictions advanced in the cause of Islamization were relaxed and some abandoned altogether. The importance of a role for Islam in the political process of Pakistan was not lost on the new government that replaced Benazir Bhutto. An enduring feature of Pakistan's political development is a preference among many Muslims for a fresh reassertion of basic Islamic principles. In many respects, Pakistan mirrors not only the experience of political Islam, but the evolution of the modern state.
