One fully agrees with the article 'Religion and State by Iqbal Ahmad Khan, former High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Mr Khan is right that Pakistan needs to follow Bangladesh Supreme Courts decision as a model on whether the state be run as a theocratic entity or a secular one. He laments the fact that the dictators used religion in order to establish their authoritarian rule, a blunder for which were paying very heavy price today. In a recent newspaper editorial on January 8, it was also argued that a similar decision like banning politics of religion would help take the country out of the current quagmire. Religion alone cannot be the basis of running a countrys affairs; it is practically impossible to implement consensual Shariah rule in a diverse culture like that of our society. It is evident from the strong resistance being put up by the populace against the extremist Taliban that a large majority of our people, even though devoutly religious, refuse to be exploited on the basis of religion. It is time we remembered Quaid-e-Azam, a truly visionary leader who had studied Islam thoroughly and understood its true spirit. That is why he insisted on Muslims of India having a homeland to practice religious harmony for all. Bangladeshi Supreme Courts decision on the subject is a great step forward, which carries many a lessons for us as well. The conceptual correction would also help us justify our long-enduring fight against the so-called 'Islamic extremism. -F. Z. KHAN, Islamabad, January 11.