Pakistan and the new era of political order…. Haris Iqbal
Famous Islamic scholar Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali observes, “One year of anarchy is worse than a hundred years of tyranny.”
The recent political, social and economic chaos in Pakistan is a testament to Al-Ghazali’s words. It is clear that the country is now sailing towards post-democratic shores for the near future. It is easy to blame this transition on the ‘establishment’ or ‘foreign powers’. The question that needs to be asked is: what has led to this transition? What is the right political system for this country which can sustain itself to provide stability and upward social and economic mobility for the masses? Unless we do not reflect on our past mistakes, there is little hope of course correction for the future.
Pakistan has gone through multiple cycles of democracy and absolute military dictators in its political history. Our current political, social and economic malaise is the reflection of our past. What is the common denominator which leads to constant upheavals in our political journey?
In my opinion, the mindset of the leadership has remained totalitarian whether the leader was a military dictator or a political figure. It was always ‘my way or the highway’ mindset, for our rulers. We had charlatans who used the concept of Madina ki Riyasat to completely disqualify their political opponents while disregarding the rampant incompetence and corruption within their own government. We also have our military elites who will relentlessly prosecute their political opponents whereas leaving their own generals who created these ‘hybrid’ experiments.
Our ruling elites have forgotten that only by forging people together can we create any sort of political and economic stability. Pakistan is neither Saudi Arabia nor China in its demographic composition. We are a mosaic of different ethnicities, religions and regions. We have already lost half of our country by following the same totalitarian mindset in the past. The ruling elite needs to learn how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emulated Prophet Yusuf (AS) during the conquest of Mecca when he forgave his enemies by saying, “No reproach on you this day,” (Qur’an 12:92). Other successful nations have followed the same blueprint, when Abraham Lincoln observed during the era of slavery, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Thus, the ruling class of our country has to ensure that we remain united as a nation. It also means that we cannot allow leaders with totalitarian mindset to create anarchy and chaos in the country. These leaders lead people to ruin as we have seen in countless Arab countries in our neighborhood. The citizens of our country have to understand that ultimately it is only the army in spite of all of its past political blunders which ensures the survival of this country. The military elite also have to understand that without the consent of its own citizens it will be unable to ensure the economic security of the country. The examples of North Korea and Myanmar lie before us where the masses are starving and the elites are prospering.
The solution for our future political setup has to be based on mutual respect and adherence to the firm rule of law. It may be tempting to follow the French revolution which finished off the past political elites in its aftermath. In my opinion, it will lead to more tyranny and repression as we have seen in the examples of Iran and Egypt. Our Islamic history has shown us that forgiveness and mercy followed by implementation of a just rule of law leads to a sustainable political and economic system for the masses. May Allah bless us with our own Umar bin Abdul Aziz (RA) who pursued mercy and justice for all which led to the renaissance of Islam after a long, bleak age!
Courtesy The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2023.