News & Comment
A tale of unkept promises

News:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Thursday found itself in a tight spot after global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) revealed that corruption increased in Pakistan in 2019, compared to the year before. (Source: pakistantoday)

Comment:

Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan in his political career has always talked about providing a vibrant economy, ending the corruption, efficient institutional functioning and bringing justice to people, but has terribly failed to provide justice and serenity to the people of Pakistan. In the one and a half year since coming to power, he has not only failed in fulfilling his promises but he has given surprises to the people of Pakistan. Inflation reached new heights and the currency lost 35% of its value in just one year. Millions of promised jobs are nowhere to be found. Flour and sugar shortages made it difficult for the poor to feed the family, both because they couldn’t afford either if they could find them.

Scoring 32 on the CPI in 2019, Pakistan not only fell one point below the 2018 score of 33 but also dropped three ranks in the world ranking from the previous 117th to the latest 120th among 180 countries. It means that Pakistan, which was previously the 63rd most corrupt country, is now the 60th most corrupt nation. The corruption Imran Khan has been targeting is mostly revenge-based. He is focused on elimination of his political enemies instead of the crimes that are being committed against people. That is the reason that Pakistan has gone down on the list for the first time in ten years. While the current government is busy blaming the previous government for all the inflation, it must explain the reason behind corruption hike. Now when Imran has his own trusted team and his own people are heading the institutions, who can he blame for the corruption?

What the people of Pakistan need to understand is that changing faces will never bring them a “Naya Pakistan”. Making false promises and then giving excuses is an old technique of all these ‘taking-turns’ politicians. Having a new face as a leader with the old machinery working with its old tactics will never bring change. The needed change is of system. A system that will not work according to the desires of one single man and his fantasies will not be allowed to play with millions of Muslims; a ruler who will be humble and will have fear of Allah in his heart; a man whose role model will be our beloved holy Prophet (saw). That man will be our Khaleefa and we will follow his commands as we will know that he will not sleep with a full belly leaving his people hungry.

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

«كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، فَالأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ، وَهُوَ مَسْؤولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ، وَهُوَ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّجُلِ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ، وَهُوَ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْهُ، أَلاَ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»‏

“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. The amir of a people is a shepherd and he is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible for his flock. A man's slave is the shepherd of his master's property and he is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ikhlaq Jehan