Analysis, Side Feature, South Asia

Pakistan Headlines – 6 July 2018

Headlines:

  • Corrupt Criminals are Attracted towards Democracy as it Cleans their Crimes
  • In the Absence of Islamic Ruling, Petrol Price Increases Break the Back of the Common Man
  • Bajwa Meets and Confides with US Envoy, when Islam Demands Severing Ties with the Belligerent Enemy

Corrupt Criminals are Attracted towards Democracy as it Cleans their Crimes

The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on 1st July 2018 released a report, according to which as many as 209 nominated candidates are defaulters, to the total of Rs3.901 billion, to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL). Similarly, 1,195 candidates are defaulters to a total of Rs12.384 million to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reported corruption cases against ten candidates. As many as five of them have been convicted in the past, one entered into a plea bargain with the bureau while two are currently under trial in accountability courts. In addition, NAB’s appeals against the dismissal of cases involving two candidates by the Lahore High Court are currently pending in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Democracy provides cover for corrupt criminals. They eagerly contest elections so as to make laws to whiten their ill gotten money and pardon their crimes. Moreover, this sad situation is not unique to Pakistan, it is common to every democracy. In the world’s largest democracy, India, 34% of the members of parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha (lower house) have criminal charges filed against them and the figure is rising. Most of these charges are serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. Over the past three general elections, a candidate with a rap sheet of serious charges has had an 18% chance of winning his or her race, compared to 6% for a “clean” rival, according to Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The average assets declared by elected lawmakers in 2014 was $2.5 million compared to $900,000 in 2009. Democracy is only for corrupt by the corrupt to the corrupt.

The Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood will liberate humanity from the mischief of democracy. Neither the Khaleefah nor the Majlis of the Ummah can legislate as Allah (swt) said,

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ

“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”

[Al-Ahzab:36]

The Khaleefah implements the Quran and Sunnah, whilst the Majlis of the Ummah ensures Islam’s implementation and accounts the rulers to prevent neglect. If today it were announced that elected persons will only be allowed to account the ruler on the basis of Islam, the corrupt will abandon their election campaigns as they will be denied the power to legislate, which facilitates their corruption. Whilst in the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood, the sincere and pious will stand for election because they will strive and sacrifice to ensure that the Deen of Allah swt is implemented faithfully.

 

In the Absence of Islamic Ruling, Petrol Price Increases Break the Back of the Common Man

The Dawn reported on 2nd July 2018 that traders have asked the caretaker government to withdraw the increase in petroleum prices within three days, otherwise a shutter-down strike will be started.  Rawalpindi Traders Association spokesman, Naveed Kanwal, said the association decided to give the caretaker government a deadline to revisit its decision, as people were already suffering from the energy crisis. Moreover, the latest surge in petroleum prices and the increase in the value of the dollar would bring more inflation. The reaction has come in response to an increase in petroleum prices by the caretaker government, whereby the price of petrol alone went up by Rs. 7.5, which represents a 28% increase over the past six months and a 40% increase over the last year.

Commenting on this, an ex-MNA, Malik Shakil Awan, said the petroleum price hike would increase the monthly expenses of the common man, as well as having a negative effect on industry. It would send prices of different products skyrocketing as it would negatively affect transportation charges and costs of thermal electricity production. Also, Syed Zameer Shah, an educationist, described the increase as an anti-farmer measure, maintaining that it would ruin the farming sector, as farmers were already facing a financial crunch due to shortages of irrigation water and high prices of agricultural inputs. Also, it will enhance the monthly expenses of farmers, especially those using tractors and tube wells. Yet, the government has increased fuel prices again. It’s worth mentioning that this increase does not account for the total increase in petroleum levy as approved in the 2018 budget bill. The levy has been increased from Rs. 6-10 per liter, to Rs. 30 per liter, which will raise the price of petroleum products by 15-20%. Democracy is breaking the common man’s back by charging heavy taxes on all petroleum products including GST and Petroleum levy. It leaves the refining, transportation, marketing and distribution to the hands of the private sector, such that multinational companies are making huge profits at the expense of the common man, who is paying 35-50% more than the actual value of petroleum products.

Islam has declared petroleum products and all energy resources as public property. RausulAllah ﷺ said, «الْمُسْلِمُونَ شُرَكَاءُ فِي ثَلاَثٍ: الْمَاءِ وَالْكَلإِ وَالنَّارِ» “Muslims are partners in three (things) water, pastures and fire.” In Islam the state supervises the complete supply chain of energy resources, from extraction, refining, transportation to distribution. In Islam, it is only allowed to spend the revenues from public properties on matters related to public welfare. Whilst under capitalism, companies like Total Chevron and Shell have huge profits. In Islam, the huge wealth of energy resources will be available to the State’s Bayt ul Maal to look after the public affairs. Moreover, by removing the profits of private companies and taxes from the cost of petroleum products, cheaper fuel will be made available to the common man and industry.

 

Bajwa Meets and Confides with US Envoy, When Islam Demands Severing Ties with the Belligerent Enemy

Pakistan and the United States on 3rd July agreed to remain engaged for peace in Afghanistan. This was agreed during a meeting between US Deputy Assistant Secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells and Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa at the General Headquarters. “Both reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end. Both also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Thus, the envoy of the world’s foremost enemy of Islam and Muslims met with the commander of the most powerful Muslim army, in its headquarters, to share information and co-operate on regional directives. America’s enmity against our noble armed forces is evident, through its establishing a Raymond Davis and Kulbashan Yadev network to strike at officers and soldiers repeatedly. It is evident through its opening Afghanistan wide open for Indian mischief against our armed forces in Baluchistan. It is evident in its full support of Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir and repeated strikes of Liberated (Azad) Kashmir, whilst demanding that our armed forces exercise restraint. It is evident in its humiliating interrogation of our intelligence agents in the time of Musharraf and now, in the time of Bajwa, demand of them to engineer talks to secure an American presence on our doorstep, which it could never secure through the battle with poorly armed but highly committed tribal fighters.

No doubt, America is considered as actual belligerent after it began its war upon Afghanistan, and any other country which declared war on any of the Muslim lands would also be considered the same. The rules to do with actual war are applied as long as the situation of war remains between us and them. Islam requires that all of the Muslims fight against the occupation, and so their armies must be sent to fight, and all those capable of fighting be gathered as soldiers in the army, and for this to continue until the occupation is finished and the Muslim lands are liberated. Allah (swt) said, وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًاAnd never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].” [an-Nisa’a 4:141]. And He (swt) said, فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْSo whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you.” [al-Baqarah 2:194] and, وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْAnd expel them from wherever they have expelled you.” [al-Baqarah 2:191]. It is high time that the Muslim armed forces were led by a Khaleefah Rashid, who fears Allah (swt) alone rather than our enemies.