Zakir as secular figure?

This is the last week's post, which I mailed Maryam.

Though Sabira is ultimate hero of the story however, Zakir’s role as a secular figure cannot be completely discounted. Zakir is breaking up with conventions. His role as a nonconformist, I feel, has been undermined due to his passivity. However, his thoughts and (some) actions show a dissenting pattern. He does not conform to the idea of Sharafat in his relationship with Anisah. He keeps thinking about Sabirah despite his mother’s attitude towards her.
Furthermore, he is alienated; he is not a part of the majority. Even some of his friends are rigid in terms of their views. For example, Salamat, along with many other people, has a clear, in fact an extreme, stance on war with India. On the other hand, at various points in the novel, the protagonist seems to be avoiding expressing his views on the matter. Clarity is an issue for him. At times, it seems through his tone that his voice has been silenced by the majority.

“I'm sitting in a cave. Outside stands the black night, with its jaws opened wide. Siren, whistles, the sound of dogs barking -- but human voices absent”
“Taking advantage of this silence, the dogs began to bark at nightfall…... At the same time the dogs began to bark with a new enthusiasm. It seemed that all the dogs in the city had suddenly jumped up with a start. The sound of whistles and the dogs' barking saturated his senses. As he lay in bed, it seemed to him that the whole atmosphere was full of that disgusting noise.”

The dogs, in the above mentioned lines, can also be interpreted as pointing to those people disrupting the peace. This can include many people including his war mongering friend Salamat. People close to him are in different ways making him feel isolated. I think this is the reason of his fear. Also, he does recognize his weakness:
 “I ought to preserve the record of my lies and my cowardice.”