Democracy's cat is out of the bag sooner than expected. The recent statements coming from the Federal Ministers and the top leadership of the ruling coalition has proven that expecting any fundamental change from the new democratic dispensation amounts to living in fool's paradise. Foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi's claim that Musharraf's foreign and Kashmir policy will continue and People's Party's co-chairman, Asif Zardari's reiteration, in the presence of Richard Boucher, that war against terrorism is not America's war rather it is Pakistan's war, demonstrates that Pakistan will not only continue to act as America's loyal servant but Pakistan will continue to be the battle ground as well. Not only this, even the defense minister, in his quest to please Musharraf, has termed him a 'National asset' whereas statements from the government quarters showing willingness to work with Musharraf had been circulating for quite sometime.
Similarly, the leader of the second largest party of the ruling coalition, Nawaz Sharif, has also started to show his real colour. He has recently proposed that Indian citizens should be allowed to visit Pakistan without any visa and the bilateral trade with India should continue (irrespective of Kashmir dispute). This means that the boarder between Pakistan will be reduced to a 'lakeer' (line) and the age-old Hindu dream of Akhand Bharat (Greater India) would be realized.
In the backdrop of these statements the eyes of all those who were overoptimistic that a change will occur due to the restoration of democracy and Pakistan will swiftly tread on the road of peace and progress, should now be wide open.
We would like to reiterate to these people that under dictatorship as well as democracy America will continue to legislate laws in its interests and as a result Pakistan's slavery and subservience will also continue.
The real change can only occur when the current democratic capitalist system is uprooted and replaced with the system of Khilafat-e-Rashidah where Allah's Shari'ah is the law of the land and the Khaleefah doesn't have any right to legislate laws as a result the imperialist forces cannot legislate laws in their interest. Hence the Khaleefah cannot take part in the so-called war on terror since joining hands with kuffar to kill Muslim brothers is already declared haram in Shari'ah. Furthermore, according to Shari'ah those states who have occupied Muslims lands, Allah has forbidden the ruler from having trade relationship or allowing their citizens to visit Islamic State. This is how the implementation of Allah's laws interests of the people and the state are automatically protected.
Naveed Butt
The Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan