The troubling ideological and political tendencies represented in the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) were once again thrown into sharp relief when lawmaker Ali Muhammad Khan called on secularists to mend their ways or else to leave this country. This sort of talk becomes all the more worrying since the PTI has built a fairly substantial and mainstream political support base with nebulous but forceful slogans of tabdeeli (change). Let us consider the issues raised by the PTI lawmaker’s rant on the TV screen. Firstly, is he aware as a member of the national assembly that he is sworn to upholding the Pakistani constitution, which protects the rights of citizens with secularist views as much as those who have religion-centric views of the world? Secondly, is he cognizant of the fact that such talk belongs to the ideology of extremists such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistsan (TTP) and the Islamic State group, with which the Pakistani state and people are fighting a struggle for basic existence? Is he aware that the sacrifices of Pakistani civilians and soldiers in the war against religious extremists are meant to protect secularist Pakistanis as much as any others? Thirdly, is he aware that the founder of the country, in his speech of the 11th of August, 1947, laid out principles before the first Pakistani Constituent Assembly which clearly talk of a separation between religious affairs and those of state? In his bid to appease the religious lobby, will Ali Muhammad Khan also say that the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah did not belong in the country he created? After all, it would be safe to assume the Quaid disagreed sharply with Ali Muhammad Khan’s views on the role of religion in public life! Such unpleasant displays only serve to strengthen the case of those who argued – perhaps sometimes excessively – that Imran Khan and his political lieutenants are unable to provide a serious counter-narrative against the Taliban and other armed extremist forces. Even worse, it lends credence to the idea proposed by some that the PTI’s rhetoric sometimes adds fuel to the fire of extremism and intolerance that is tormenting our beloved country! *