Pakistan at the Crossroads
By Dr. Israr Ahmad
Posted: 26 Zulhijjah 1420, 2 April 2000
[Summary of the address by Dr. Israr Ahmad, Ameer of Tanzeem-e-Islami during a Friday
Congregation at Darussalam Mosque in Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.]
Standing at a crucial and decisive juncture in its history, Pakistan must choose one of
two paths: it could either choose to submissively follow US directives in return for a
fresh lease on existence, or it could choose to engage in the struggle to restore its
historical and ideological roots in Islam even at the cost of international ostracism. The
statements made by Mr. Clinton during his recent “stop-over” in Pakistan have
brought this choice to the very center of our national existence, a choice that we can no
longer ignore or postpone.
Mr. Clinton’s visit has brought to the fore the dilemma or predicament that lies
at the core of Pakistan’s being. Pakistan is a country that owes its genesis to
Islam, and to the vision of an Islamic ideological state, but it exists in a world that is
moving in the opposite direction, a world where the dominant ideology and civilization is
characterized by secularism, permissiveness, and consumerism. Pakistan allied itself with
the West during the Cold War, and in return received foreign aid and military support that
somewhat helped the country in facing the enmity and nefarious designs of India. Pakistan
chose to become a partner and supporter of the US primarily because of its fear of India,
but also because the Western system of capitalistic democracy was perceived to be
relatively congenial to some of the Islamic values as compared to the overtly atheistic
socialist system of the USSR. The elite classes in Pakistan, who had inherited political
and bureaucratic power from the British, were completely westernized in their beliefs and
lifestyles. At the same time, movements for the revival of Islam as a socio-political
order and of Iman as a deeply felt inner reality continued to attract and mobilize many
among the middle class. The reliance on foreign aid and loans actually represented slow
poisoning for our economy. These aids and loans brought an artificial state of well-being
and comfort, precluding us from becoming economically self-reliant. Many of us became used
to living a lavish and luxurious lifestyle, and others began to dream of comfort and ease
without hard work and methodical struggle. Corruption permeated in the higher echelons of
the state machinery, and billions were “earned” by bureaucrats, politicians, and
general by dubious means.
The revolution in Iran galvanized Islamic movements throughout the Muslim world,
creating the specter of Islamic fundamentalism to haunt the West. The movement for
Nizam-e-Mustafa in Pakistan was hijacked by the military, and Gen. Zia-ul-Haq ruled
Pakistan in the name of Islam, further stimulating dormant religious sensibilities. The
Afghan Jihad brought large amounts of sophisticated weaponry in the country, adding a
militant dimension to the hitherto ideological Islamic movements. Pakistan, as a conduit
of US arms to the Afghan Mujahideen, benefited in terms of more foreign loans, military
aid, and American tolerance of its nuclear program. All this, however, lead to the virtual
demise of Pakistani economy. The whole scenario changed with the end of Cold War and the
disintegration of the USSR. Western capitalistic democracy was declared triumphant and
unrivaled at the “end” of human history, vassal states like Pakistan become
superfluous and irrelevant in the global game of hegemony, and, instead of Pakistan, India
acquired the position of the darling of the West. Parliamentary democracy, secularism at
the constitutional level, and permissiveness in the general society make India much more
harmonious with the spirit of the times than Pakistan. Moreover, in an age where the
entire world is moving towards market economy, India with its almost one billion
population forms a much bigger market than Pakistan.
Mr. Clinton’s statements should be analyzed in this background. The US President
has said, in effect, that Pakistan must chose between the two paths that are open to it,
each of which will have definite consequences. Mr. Clinton has suggested that although
Pakistan has already become a “failed state,” the West is willing to grant it
some more “life-support systems,” provided it can prove itself
“worthy” of this new assistance. Mr. Clinton wants Pakistan to forget its raison
d’être and ideological basis, to wholeheartedly adopt the western democratic model
along with all its implications and to restore full democracy; this implicitly includes
the demand of recanting the non-Muslim minority status of Qadiyanis as well as revoking
the law that makes blasphemy against the Prophet a punishable act. Mr. Clinton also wants
Pakistan to abandon its claim over Indian held Kashmir, to accept the Line of Control as a
permanent boundary, to sign the CTBT and to roll back its nuclear program, to crush the
Jihadi Islamic groups, to terminate its relations with the Taliban Government in
Afghanistan, to crackdown on the religious seminaries and to establish state control over
the mosques, to comply with all the directives and demands of the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization even if this requires
further oppressing its already exploited populace, to accept the supremacy of India as a
regional super-power, and to implement the feminist agenda of Cairo and Beijing
Conferences. This is one path that is open to Pakistan.
On the other hand, we have the option of rejecting this agenda and to choose Islam.
Choosing Islam implies that Pakistan must re-establish its relationship with its
ideological roots and must rely only upon Almighty Allah (SWT); it must make meaningful
progress towards the implementation of Shar'iah in accordance with the recommendations of
the Council of Islamic Ideology; it must purge the economy of all kinds of riba; it must
stop paying interest on its international loans and offer “debt equity swap” as
a possible means for paying off the capital; and it must develop close relationship with
Taliban government and work towards establishing a confederation. Pakistan should accept
the Chinese offer of closer friendship, although it must be kept in mind that friendship
with China is going to be temporary in the long run. Ultimately, we must rely solely upon
Almighty Allah (SWT).
Even though the present Pakistani government showed some ambivalence in the beginning,
several indicators suggest that it is in the process of choosing the first path, that of
fulfilling all US demands. There is a clear possibility of a strong reaction against the
government coming from religious parties, Jihadi organizations, and their supporters. If
we choose Islam, we would do so at the risk of being isolated and ostracized in the world.
We must put our trust in Almighty Allah (SWT) and in no one else, because if Allah (SWT)
is on our side, then no one can bring any harm to us.
Current Affairs 