The death toll reached 115, due to flooding after recent heavy rain in parts of Pakistan’s provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK), with others injured. Most of the deaths were caused by roof collapses, landslides and electric shocks. A number of cities received over 130mm of rain. Pakistan’s meteorological office issued a severe weather warning for northeast Punjab and Kashmir, saying more intense rain was expected which could trigger flash flooding.
Heavy rain and floods are a regular, yearly occurrence in Pakistan. Yet, the Democratic regimes fail to arrange adequate measures to save human life every year. Pakistan has suffered deadly monsoon floods for at least the last four years – in 2013, 178 people were killed and around 1.5 million affected by flooding around the country. In 2012, 520 people were killed and more than 1,180 people were injured. The floods of 2010 were the worst in Pakistan’s history, with 1,800 people killed and 21 million affected in what became a major humanitarian crisis. For the past three years, Pakistan has topped the list of the Global Climate Risk Index produced by German watch, an NGO that works on global equity issues. In 2010, Pakistan was listed as the number one country in the world affected by climate related disasters, due to the massive flooding that hit the country; in 2011 it was ranked as number three.
Despite the history of floods in past four years, no adequate measures can be seen practically. The NCCP (National Climate Change Policy) that was launched in the aftermath of previous floods in response to public anger has now been shelved. Shortly after coming to power in May 2013 general elections, the PML(N)-led government demoted the Ministry of Climate Change to a Division and slashed its budget, as the issue was no longer under public scrutiny.
In the current tragedy, it took days for the Prime Minister to be briefed on the destruction caused by rains and flooding. Despite the delayed briefing premier issued a mere directive, saying that all major national highways, which have been cut off due to heavy rains, should be cleared in order to ensure that relief work can continue at a quick pace. He further directed the NDMA to assess the extent of damage. However, what it has done with saving more lives? More floods are expected. Yet, the premier is clearing the highways as they were cleared in the 2010 floods to ensure that the supply of weapons, pork and wine to the NATO occupying forces in Afghanistan are uninterrupted.
While the people of Pakistan are being killed, the government and the opposition busy in the political circus, attending their marches cum street festivals or applauding at empty speeches in the assembly and playing the same blame game as witnessed in past. So, in September 2012, when a Tribune report disclosed at least 78 rain and flood related deaths across the country, Imran Khan’s PTI criticized the PML-N Punjab government for not issuing a flood warning and that only Rs 6 billion funds have been allocated. In the mid-August, 2014 when heavy rains killed at least 16 people and injured more than 80 others in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK), the Chief Minister of KPK, Pervaiz Khatak, was busy dancing on the container of Azaadi (Independence) March, he was condemned by many circles, including those of the ruling PML-N. Under Democracy, politicians are like the Emperor Nero, playing on instruments as the city burns down.
Democratic government, federal or provincial, fails to look after the affairs of the people as they deserve. Democratic politicians, government or opposition, flagrantly neglect the people. The failure of successive Democratic governments in securing human life is due to the nature of Democracy itself. Democracy is not to look after the affairs of the people, it is only to look after the affairs of a political elite. Wherever democracy exists, neglect and exploitation of the people by the few elite will always occur. In Western democracies, the richest people are those with access to political power in democracy, either directly or through sponsorship of politicians. The concentration of wealth in these hands is legalized through man made legislation under Democracy. The slow and inept response which incited the anger of the people can be seen in many natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest US. hurricane since the 1928; total property damage was estimated at $108 billion (2005 USD). In a Congressional investigation of the responses from federal, state and local governments, it was found that FEMA and the Red Cross “did not have a logistics capacity sophisticated enough to fully support the massive number of Gulf coast victims.” It placed responsibility for the disaster on all three levels of government. A concert for Hurricane Relief was organized in the US, where the proceedings of the concert were for victims of the hurricane, whereby the musician Kanye West veered off script and harshly criticized the government’s response to the crisis, stating that, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people”. This is the reality of politics in democracy where politicians just care to secure another term for themselves, to gain more and more personal benefit, rather than looking after the affairs of the people.
This inbuilt neglect is the reason that Democracy attracts the ruthless, cunning and greedy. Among the precepts of politics espoused by Machiavelli in his famous book, “The Prince”, “leaders should always mask their true intentions, avoid inconsistency, and frequently act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness, against religion in order to preserve the state.” James Johnson, a CAS associate Professor of History, recipient of a 1996 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching was once asked, “What do you think Machiavelli would make of contemporary American politics?” He replied, “He would smile that famous inscrutable smile of his, as if to say, ‘This looks familiar’.” Philip Bobbitt, the author of The Shield of Achilles, War, Peace and the Course of History among other notable books, and himself a constitutional lawyer wrote that “Machiavelli is the ‘spiritual forefather’ of the US constitution.”
If this is the situation of the Washington masters of the regime, what can we expect from their agents in Pakistan. The Punjab government under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the current prime minister, completed the Metro Bus project in 2012 just in 11 months. This project benefited his personal construction interests and was used for his election campaign. Yet, no construction of flood proof emergency dwellings have been made in all that time. Regarding the drainage system a WASA official declared, “In December, WASA sent necessary maps and drawings and data on the water and sanitation system to Turkish experts to suggest improvement in the system.” The Turkish officials suggested WASA to specify canals to drain sewage and rainwater separately, so that they did not choke during rains. They had also suggested the construction of new canals as per needs besides urging WASA not to rely on the decades-old combined sewerage system. They also asked WASA to install water treatment plants in the city to be used for irrigation, rather than diverting it to the rivers. They also stressed on educating people to dispose of domestic waste properly rather than letting it flow on roads and streets. The suggestions were never taken up for consideration.
Islam has made politics as looking after the affairs of the Ummah and an obligation. Failure renders the ruler accountable on the Day of Judgment. RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
«كانت بنو إسرائيل تسوسهم الأنبياء، كلما هلك نبي خلفه نبي، وأنه لا نبي بعدي، وستكون خلفاء فتكثر، قالوا: فما تأمرنا ؟ قال: فوا ببيعة الأول فالأول، وأعطوهم حقهم فإن الله سائلهم عما استرعاهم»
‘The Prophets ruled over the children of Israel, whenever a prophet died another Prophet succeeded him, but there will be no Prophet after me. There will soon be Khulafaa’ and they will number many.’ They asked: ‘what then do you order us?’ He said: ‘Fulfil the Bai’ah to them, one after the other and give them their dues for Allah will verily account them about what he entrusted them with.'” [Muslim].
And he صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
«كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالْإِمَامُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ وَعَبْدُ الرَّجُلِ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلَا فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»
“Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of the people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects: a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for his subjects, a woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and of his children and is responsible for them, and the slave of a man is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it. Surely, everyone of you is a shepherd and responsible for his responsibility.” [Muslim].
Aisha (ra) narrated, سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي بَيْتِي هَذَا
«اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بِهِمْ فَارْفُقْ بِهِ»
“I heard The Messenger of Allah say in my house that, O Allah! Be harsh with the one who is charged with the affairs of the Muslims and is harsh on them, and Allah be gentle with the one who is charged with the affairs of the Muslims and is gentle on them.” [Sahih Muslim].
And RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
«مَا مِنْ وَالٍ يَلِي رَعِيَّةً مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَيَمُوتُ وَهُوَ غَاشٌّ لَهُمْ إِلَّا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ»
“There is no Wali who takes charge of Muslims and dies cheating them, except that Allah prohibits him paradise.” [Bukhari].
Thus we see, the politicians in Islam keep looking after the affairs of the Ummah. Umar (ra) when charged with ruling said, “If an animal, in the land of Iraq trips, I would be afraid that Allah سبحانه وتعالى would account me, for not fixing the road for it.” When floods struck Makkah after the passing of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم, Umar (ra) ordered the construction of two dams to protect the Kaaba and also constructed a dam near Medina to protect its fountains from flooding, thus resolving the devastation from flood from it very basis. Also, during a famine, Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered the construction of a canal in Egypt connecting the Nile with the sea. The purpose of the canal was to facilitate the transport of grain to Arabia through a sea-route, hitherto transported only by land. The canal was constructed within a year by ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, and Suleman Nadvi may Allah have mercy on him wrote, “Arabia was rid of famine for all the times to come.”
In conclusion, Democracy produces politicians who care only for their personal benefits whilst in public office, and care about the public only to the level of being re-elected. The only solution for problems faced by the Muslims today lies in the abolition of Democracy and the establishment of the Khilafah. The sincere and aware politicians who are working for the Khilafah today will then provide a strong environment for a generation of sincere statesman, who will be creative and capable in looking after the affairs of the Ummah.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Engineer Saham, Pakistan