Collective wisdom

The issues that this country faces are governance, abuse of power and absence of rule of law. All state institutions must submit to the supremacy of the constitution instead of questioning it. Those who hold constitutional office have sworn to uphold the constitution and yet we hear this needless controversy of the choice between a parliamentary democratic system or a presidential system. There is no problem with either of these systems, if they are adhered to in letter and spirit. In a democracy, there is the concept of collective wisdom, which according to Muhammad Asad, a very respected Islamic scholar and intellectual, makes the democratic form of governance the closest to an Islamic concept.

The problems that Pakistan faces is that neither the democratic parliamentary system nor the presidential democratic system has been allowed to function within the defined confines laid down in the constitution. When Ayub Khan imposed martial law he assumed dictatorial powers as president. Although he retained the Objectives Resolution, according to which all laws will be in accordance with Holy Quran and Sunnah, yet in contradiction all powers vested in him. In Islam all powers vest only in Allah Almighty and not any other individual, while the ruler elected by the people must have no conflicts of interest. Similarly paid state institutions must not engage in any commercial ventures, and serve the people. It is the primary obligation of the state to cater to the welfare of the most deprived, protect life and property of citizens and not become party to any irregularities – and must be held accountable for any such transgressions of law. The land or drug mafias which function with impunity in this country have no place in either democracy or Islam. All those who earn above a certain threshold must pay taxes on earnings instead of indirect taxation.

Ali M Tariq

Dubai

UAE