Headlines:
- Opposition Agitation Confirms that Democracy is a System of False Compromise
- Capitalism is Crushing Pakistan’s Textile Industry
- Pakistan-Russia Joint Military Exercise will only Serve the Enemies of Islam
Opposition Agitation Confirms that Democracy is a System of False Compromise
PTI Party chairman Imran Khan said that the 30 September rally would be a far bigger rally than earlier outings as reported in Dawn on 21 September 2016. He added that it would aim to pressurize the government into holding free and fair investigations into Panamagate, which implicates the first family as well. Raiwind being the city where Prime Nawaz Sharif family resides, PTI has announced to hold a demonstration in the city against the corruption which was revealed via panama leaks.
It was in April 2016 that the Panama papers revealed the names of Pakistani Prime minister, government officials, politicians and business tycoons who were involved in corruption and fraudulent financial practices. Thereafter a series of debate and discussions have occurred between opposition parties and the government on how to roll out an accountability plan on this issue. Six months of fiasco with fiery exchanges between Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, from TOR (Term of Reference) to uniting of opposition parties and from rallies to protests, yet prosecution of perpetrators remains unachievable in this system.
The Muslims of Pakistan understand that their history is filled with such scandals but a corrupt select elite continue to enjoy the fruits of Democracy. They understand that the fate of the Panama Papers scandal will also be no different to past scandals and therefore have distanced themselves from this system. It is in this background, in an attempt to show some credible opposition, that the PTI are desperately trying to connect to the majority of masses who have disassociated themselves from this system. These protests are merely part of the “routine” tug-of-war between government and opposition to re-store some public confidence in Democracy whilst in reality everyone knows no change is expected out of it. As reported in Dawn on 21 September 2016, Adviser to Chief Minister Mushtaq Ghani has said, “It is our constitutional right to protest and Raiwind march is a symbolic protest to let the prime minister know that if we can come this far we can go further too.”
Democracy not only hands over the right of law-making to a few individuals, whereby they may legislate as they wish, but Democracy is also “system of compromises”. Previously, PTI aligned itself with PML-N in hostile opposition against the PPP during its rule, for plundering the public wealth. Now the PTI has aligned itself with the same party for the sake of removing the current PML-N government. Compromising notion such as “lesser of the two evils”, “give and take”, “compromising for greater objectives” are embedded in Democracy with all principles and standards left in tatters.
It is only in the Islamic ruling system of Khilafah that laws are defined by the Creator, leaving no space for humans to legislate and define right or wrong for themselves. In Islam the system and its details have been defined. Therefore what are considered crimes, how to persecute criminals and what to do with the plundered wealth, does not need months of agitation, posturing and compromises before settlement. Allah said,
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّه وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا
“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.”
(Surah al-Ahzab 33:36)
Capitalism is Crushing Pakistan’s Textile Industry
As reported by Bloomberg 21 September 2016, that Pakistan’s textile sector in the past two years has seen more than half a million jobs lost and around a hundred factories shut down. Overseas shipments for the year through June fell to $21 billion, the lowest level since 2010, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. With an overall population of close to 200 million people, Pakistan unemployment`s rate hovers around 5-6 % as per official statistics whereas the IPR (Institute of Policy Reforms) maintains that it is around 8.5% FY2014-15.
As mentioned in the Bloomberg report, one of the key reasons which hit the textile sector hard was the country`s energy crisis. Most factories shutting down are small to mid-sized plants, unable to bear the costly implications of prolonged power outages whereas larger factories have invested in their own power, including very expensive diesel generators, to cope with the nation’s electricity deficit. Instead of planning and investing adequately and urgently in the generation projects as well as transmission and distribution optimization, the regime is keener on selling power assets to private investors. In a bid to attract investors, the regime is greatly increasing power tariffs, over-burdening not only the small/medium size industry but the general public as well, which is already deprived from many of the basic needs. The capitalist system is crippling Pakistan’s industry, including the potentially world-leading textile industry. Privatization of energy assets have meant that the private owners are focused on profits rather than providing steady supply when profits are not guaranteed, creating havoc for industry. Privatization deprives the national coffers of revenue and so the government has greatly inflated taxation on industrial inputs, adding to the woes of industry.
Nothing short of the abolition of capitalism, and the restoration of Islam’s economic system will revive industry. In the Khilafah, public resources such as abundant minerals, fuel resources and energy assets such as electricity are deemed public property. Their revenue and utilization is for the entire public and the state ensures this matter, simultaneously ensuring constant supply to private industry and providing plentiful revenues to the Baytul-Maal. Another important aspect for a country`s sustainable growth in economics, sciences, political and military strength lies in planning and investing in heavy industry, including military grade manufacturing. Having a focus of developing local military industry will boost the local heavy industry as well as Research & Development. Not only will Pakistan be fulfilling its high-end value product demands which it currently imports, it will also be in a position to export with high returns. However, Western colonialist through their financial institutions and agents in the Muslim Lands prevent the formation of such an industry. It is only through Islam that the Muslims will be able to achieve a powerful economy, without any foreign dictations.
Regarding industry, the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood will have a military focus, which will lead to the rapid development of a heavy industrial base. In its Introduction to the Constitution, Hizb ut Tahrir has adopted Article 74, “The Department of Industry is in charge of all the affairs connected to industry, whether heavy industry such as the manufacturing of engines, machines, vehicles, materials and electrical equipment, or light industry. Similarly, whether the factories are of the public property type or they are included in the private property and have a relationship to the military industry. All types of factories must be established upon the basis of military policy… it is a duty upon the State to manufacture weapons by itself and it is not allowed to depend upon other states, because this allows other states to control it, its will, its weapons and its fighting… This can’t be achieved unless the State possesses heavy industry and started to build factories which produce heavy industry, both military and non-military alike.”
Pakistan-Russia Joint Military Exercise will only Serve the Enemies of Islam
As reported in Express Tribune 24 September 2016, “A contingent of Russian troops have arrived in Pakistan for a joint military exercise to be held from September 24 to October 10. This is the first-ever joint military exercise between the two countries…. Termed ‘Friendship 2016’, this exercise which will include around 200 military personnel is part of the military cooperation pact signed between Pakistan and Russia in December, 2014.”
This is the same Russia which invaded and destroyed Afghanistan. Pakistan’s armed forces supported the resistance movements against the Soviet Russian invasion which paved the way for their defeat and departure from this region. Yet, yesterday`s enemy has been turned into today`s friend, merely at the beckoning of Washington. Traitors in Pakistan’s leadership were neither sincere with Islam and Muslims back then, whilst supporting the Afghan Jihad against Russia, nor it is sincere today as evident whilst shaking the hands of the same enemy we fought some few years ago.
Moreover, these exercises are taking place at a time when Russia in co-operation with the US is leading the massacre against the Muslims of Syria, in a bid to secure the tyrant of ash-Sham, Bashar al-Assad and turn the tide of war in their favour. Russian troops have been actively bombing the besieged Aleppo and Idlib where the Islamic rebels gained control, whilst killing thousands of Muslim men, children, women, young, old. To ensure devastation and high death tolls, Russia has supported Assad in using chemical weapons, barrel bombs and even white phosphorous on the population. At such a time, such exercises is co-operation with an open enemy of Muslims. It increases Russian capabilities in engaging the sincere revolutionaries of Syria in mountainous terrain. It allows the Russian to become familiar with the style of fighting of the Islamic Ummah’s most powerful armed forces. And it could be used as a prelude to Muslim forces being sent to engage their fellow Muslims in Syria. The regime is conducting such co-operation by hiding behind the flimsy excuse that it is trying to reduce reliance on the United States. Even if that were true, how is allying with another enemy, of no less than hostility than America, reducing dependence on hostile nations?
In contrast to the hypocrisy of the current leadership, Hizb ut Tahrir has adopted in its Introduction to the Constitution, in Article 189, “States with whom we do not have treaties, and the actual imperialist states, such as Britain, America and France, and those states that have designs on the State, such as Russia, are legally considered to be belligerent states. All precautions must be taken towards them and it would be wrong to establish diplomatic relations with them.” And in the same article’s Clause 4 it has stated, “States that are actually belligerent states, such as ‘Israel’ for example, a state of war must be taken as the basis for all dealings with them. They must be dealt with as if a real war existed between us – irrespective of whether an armistice exists between us or not – and all their subjects are prevented from entering the State.” Allah (ta’ala) has ordered that enemies are taken as an enemy,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنْ الْحَقِّ
“O you who believe! Choose not My enemies who are your enemies as friends showing them affection even when they disbelieve in that truth that has come to you”
(Surah Mumtahina 60:1)