Religion as an Instrumentum Regni under the Imran Khan Government (2018-2022): An Analysis of its Impact on the State and Society

Abstract

This paper examines Imran Khan’s use of religion as a tool of politics during his premiership (2018 to 2022) and its impact on the state and society. The instrumentalization of religion is not unprecedented in Pakistan’s history; rather, it is a recurring pattern that continues to characterize mainstream electoral politics today. Imran Khan's bragging about modelling his government on the “State of Madina” and the establishment of the “Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen” Authority (RAA), etc., would serve a political purpose—to win the sympathy of the people (and power). Simply put, he used religion as a tool to give his dubiously elected government a facade of legitimacy—his political opponents dubbed him as “selected” by the military establishment rather than elected by the people of Pakistan. He revived the legacy of General Zia-ul-Haq by giving the “Islamic touch” to everything political—and to his political ambition, by extension. This use of religion for politics in Pakistan has engendered polarisation (religious, social, and political) as well as religiously motivated extremism (and terrorism)—with a negative impact on its social cohesion, democracy, and economy. Methodologically, the study is qualitative and based on secondary sources, with data collected from books, research papers, research articles, and periodicals.