zia's state sponsored islamization increased sectarian divisions in pakistan between sunnis and shias and between deobandis and barelvis. a solid majority of barelvis had supported the creation of pakistan, and barelvi ulama had also issued fatwas in support of the pakistan movement during the 1946 elections, but ironically islamic state politics in pakistan was mostly in favour of deobandi (and later ahl-e-hadith/salafi) institutions. this was despite the fact that only a few (although influential) deobandi clerics had supported the pakistan movement. zia-ul-haq forged a strong alliance between the military and deobandi institutions.