Pakistan is hit by the worst floods in its history. According to rough estimates around 20 million people are affected by it. Official deathtoll figure hovers around the 1,500 mark while the actual number is feared to run in several thousands. Many areas are still cut off from the main cities and the only way to reach people is through the air.
In such a catastrophe, the response of the rulers can at best be described as “pathetic” or “rubbing salt in an open wound”. Mr. Zardari, famously known as Mr. 10%, whisked away to France and Britain to enjoy his summer vocations, leaving his country submerged in water. In Britain he was received by angry but peaceful protesters mobilized by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain as well as his own notsopeaceful party worker who greeted him by throwing two shoes at him at a party convention. Initially the government and party officials flatly denied the incident but later accepted it and accused that the shoe-thrower was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir who acted under the instruction of a PMLN leader. A claim which is as ridiculous and farcical as Zardari’s presidency! The shoe-thrower himself came on TV and claimed that he was an affiliate of the People’s party.
The response of the Prime Minster, the chief executive of Pakistan, was not any better. He was seen visiting emergency relief camps and distributing checks left, right and center only to be exposed later by the media that these camps as well as “victims” were fake! These camps were only setup for photoshoots and acquiring media footage to deceive the masses as to how “caring and vigilant” our Prime Minster was. As for the response of the Federal and Provincial Ministers, they were protecting their own lands and industry by releasing flood water to poor localities and lands of small farmers.
The heartless government sees even this calamity as a golden opportunity to mint more money. Prime minster today has refused to setup an independent aid commission which would maintain transparency. The government officials are already asking for $15 billion aid similar to MarshallPlan. So as far as the ruling elite is concerned; the bigger the catastrophe the more money chances of money flowing to their personal kitties.
But the most dangerous of all is the way the US is exploiting the situation to further her goals in the region, especially Pakistan. America has sent 1000 Marines to Pakistan under the guise of flood relief activity. The question is why we need a thousand Marines when Pakistan itself has over half a million trained solders? Nobody can answer the basic question as to why can’t Pakistan pull its troops from FATA, who are fighting the US’s war on terror, and use them in relief activity? More shocking news came from the Secretary of Health who claimed that Shahbaz Air Base at Jacobabad is under US control and cannot be used for relief efforts. As a result health services cannot be provided to some 700,000 residents of Jacobabad.
Alhamdulillah, there is a good side to this gloomy situation in Pakistan. The Ummah led by the media has woken up to this test of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. One can see camps all over the major cities collecting food items, clothes, household utensils and medicines. People have no faith in the government this is why they are either taking the relief goods themselves or giving it to trusted organizations. Donations from other Muslim countries have also started to pour in. According to media reports just in a single day Muslims of Saudi Arabia collected $1.2 billion dollars of donations including goods; almost double than what US has given as relief (700 million).
The floods have once again exposed the evil in these rulers and their master, America, but at the same time it has shown the Khair (good) present in the Ummah. It was the same Ummah who generously helped their brothers and sisters during the earthquake in 2005 and they are still doing their best in the current strangulating economic conditions. These rulers have no place in this world let alone the thrones on which they so proudly sit on. The dooms day for them is very near, by the leave of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
We call upon the entire Muslims world to donate generously to their brothers in Pakistan who are in need in this hour of test. May Allah help us and protect us all!
Naveed Butt
The Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan
14 Ramadan 1431 / 25 August 2010