Dr Sadiq Ali has more than 30 years of experience in civil engineering and infrastructure projects. He was the site engineer on his first project for constructing a 30 KM patch of National Highway in 1982. He's also taught mechanical technology at various universities.
Executive Summary
سبق پهر پڑھ صداقت کا، عدالت کا، شجاعت کا
لیا جاے گا تجھ سے کام دنیا کی امامت کا (اقبال)
Read again the lesson of truth, of justice and valour!
You will be asked to do the work of taking on responsibility for the world.
The state and the people of Pakistan have been striving for a PROSPEROUS and RESPECTABLE survival for the last 70 years. Until now, nothing better has been harvested from the very hailed constitution of 1973; on the contrary, it made the most accountable few, above the law.
Providing all essential services at affordable cost, and free to the poor is necessary for the prosperity of all Pakistanis. Many so-called leaders claimed to provide everything to the people, but their policies, efforts, and actions assured prosperity only for them, their families, and their cronies, making the people poorer. Morality is always the first victim of poverty; proud Pakistani people were pushed to immoral limits through poverty, by design.
National constitutions of any country are not divine and therefore need constant improvements. Although the Constitution of Pakistan does claim to be derived from the Quran, no effort was made to create procedures to implement any part of the Constitution in line with the Quran. Guidance from Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s commands were also violated.
On the 147th birthday of Pakistan, I wish to present this novel concept that is in line with the Quran and the Constitution of Pakistan, directions from Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. This procedure will help in the selection and election of the most competent and deserving person to lead Pakistan to the destiny of a real social welfare state. This procedure will bring to light, the true leader for Pakistan and not a politician; someone who is honest, confident, competent, will promote justice, and will uphold the rule of law in the country.
The Pakistani people deserve to be represented by the most competent Pakistani. Any person that claims to be a leader for Pakistan, must prove their eligibility, sincerity, honesty, and competence by way of guarantees like a professional. That person must give policies when assuming office that will give performance guarantees for prosperity. The person sweating to occupy the Chief Executive’s Office must ensure economic health by guarantees of improving exchange rates from the 100th day onwards in office.
Every subsequent day must show improvement in exchange rates to stay in power. If the Chief executive officer (CEO) fails to show any improvement in 100 days, he should leave the office and let someone else take the baton. Eligible persons can be selected through the Public Service Commission via the job vacancy procedure. After due security clearance of all eligible persons, the Election Commission of Pakistan may allow them to be elected through voting.
Most will find this procedure impossible to follow; I can guide and prove that this is the only method in democracy to prevail for a prosperous country.
Introduction
Groomed in a bourgeois family of sophisticated parents and grandparents who were doctors before Pakistan came into being, education, mannerism, ethics, morals, integrity; name any classical attribute and word that we know in literature was the ‘order of the day’. They had the character to realize the wrong and the strength to punish publicly and immediately; they believed in “justice delayed is justice denied” without burying justice in haste.
I was once slapped by my father when I picked up a mango from the hawker’s cart before the payment was made for the item in my hand; I was not eating it, just smelling it. Even today, when I am selecting mangoes, I always identify the quality through the fragrance of the ‘King of the fruits’; without exaggeration, the most mesmerizing fragrance is of mangoes from Pakistan.
Living away from my country for almost a decade, the fragrance of mangoes has not changed but the fragrance of my country has transformed into a foul stench with the bleeding wound of religious hatred, terrorism, plundering, and looting by the people in power; my beloved country has changed drastically. In less than two democratically elected governments, Pakistan has seen the pinnacle of stark-naked democracy (معراجِ ننگِ جمہوریت).
Giving personal examples is not always appreciated in literature and research work. However, those who write, or read someone’s work and analyze it at a personal level, or create a new work from their experiences are giving personal views. In either case, personal flavors do mix in the recipes that writers read and express or give accounts of their own experiences. Hence giving personal examples qualifies the making of a firm statement because it has its foundations on first-hand experience.
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan defines how our country should be governed. Article 2 confines the Constitution of Pakistan to “Quran”, Article 3 to “Elimination of Exploitation” and Article 4 to “Rights of individuals”. Surprisingly, I found our country’s description quite contradicting. The word “Islamic” comes from Islam as defined by Quran which is flawless and as Muslims, we must follow it. The synonyms of the word ‘republic’ are state, nation, and democracy.
If I replace the ‘republic’ with “democracy”, then our country’s name would become “Islamic Democracy of Pakistan”. However, “democracy” is also a synonym of “equality, egalitarianism, classlessness, consensuses and fairness”. I am very slow at uptake and just wanted to know if our country has classes or not. Does every citizen have equal rights? Are the so-called leaders working to develop an egalitarian society or not? And is fairness prevailing in Pakistan? Do we have some people above the law or do we all are accountable to our constitution?
If the answer to these questions is “NO”, then we need to understand how can we transform the answer to the above questions to “YES”. In my humble opinion, this is the responsibility of every public servant to find a solution to these problems.
Contradiction in Our Country’s Name
Yet another question is if our country’s name is ‘The Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ and if the constitution is extracted from the Quran. Surprisingly, I have not been able to find any democracy in the Quran, let alone if Allah has ever followed democracy.
According to verse 30 of Surah-e-Baqarah, when Allah showed his interests in creating ‘man’ as His caliph on planet ‘Earth’ in front of the angles, they commented by saying “Do You want to make a man a caliph who will carry out corruption and bloodshed,
وَاِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلٰۗىِٕكَةِ اِنِّىْ جَاعِلٌ فِى الْاَرْضِ خَلِيْفَةً ۭ قَالُوْٓا اَتَجْعَلُ فِيْهَا مَنْ يُّفْسِدُ فِيْهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاۗءَ ۚ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۭ قَالَ اِنِّىْٓ اَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ
اور جب تیرے رب نے فرشتوں سے کہا کہ میں زمین میں خلیفہ بنانے والا ہوں تو انہوں نے کہا کہ ایسے شخص کو کیوں پیدا کرتا ہے جو زمین میں فساد کرے اور خون بہائے ؟ہم تیری تسبیح اور پاکیزگی بیان کرنے والے ہیں ۔ اللہ تعالٰی نے فرمایا جو میں جانتا ہوں تم نہیں جانتے
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”
I just wanted to know if the angles voted for the “man on planet Earth” or not. In my analysis, it was a negative vote as Allah is alone and the angels are more than one, and Allah replied, what I know, you know not.
Allah’s sunnah is not democracy, it is knowledge. Allah’s reply clearly indicates that if there is one with knowledge, he is superior to the infinite without knowledge. Some may argue that we do not have prophets anymore to guide us and Allah has seized to send more prophets. I agree that when Allah decided to send no more prophets, he also decided to protect the Quran. The book is flawless and carries the words and commands of Allah.
Some may question how do we use such an antique book today. For this question, Allah has commanded to go to the knowledgeable for success and victory. This is very clearly defined in ayah 247 of surah-e-Baqarah quoted below
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوْتَ مَلِكًا ۭ قَالُوْٓا اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ اَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ ۭ قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصْطَفٰىهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهٗ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۭ وَاللّٰهُ يُؤْتِيْ مُلْكَهٗ مَنْ يَّشَاۗءُ ۭ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ
And their prophet said to them, “Indeed, Allah has sent to you Saul as a king.” They said, “How can he have kingship over us while we are worthier of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?” He said, “Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing.”
اور انہیں ان کے نبی نے فرمایا کہ اللہ تعالٰی نے طالوت کو تمہارا بادشاہ بنا دیا ہے تو کہنے لگے بھلا اس کی ہم پر حکومت کیسے ہوسکتی ہے؟ اس سے تو بہت زیادہ حقدار بادشاہت کے ہم ہیں ، اس کو تو مالی کشادگی بھی نہیں دی گئی ۔ نبی نے فرمایا سنو ، اللہ تعالٰی نے اسی کو تم پر برگزیدہ کیا ہے اور اسے علمی اور جسمانی برتری بھی عطا فرمائی ہے بات یہ ہے اللہ جسے چاہے اپنا ملک دے ، اللہ تعالٰی کشادگی والا اور علم والا ہے
To conclude this discussion here, in my researched opinion, Allah wants a knowledgeable person of stature and not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry to be selected for leadership. Well, who decides the two qualities of leadership? Again, it should be the people who have knowledge and stature that should be selected by a group of knowledgeable people.
This is the spirit of the Constitution of Pakistan duly reflected in the preamble on pages 7-8 in these words “Faithful to the declaration made by the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, that Pakistan would be a democratic State based on the Islamic principles of social justice;
Dedicated to the preservation of democracy achieved by the unremitting struggle of the people against oppression and tyranny:
Inspired by the resolve to protect our national and political unity and solidarity by creating an egalitarian society through a new order;”
The next question is, can such a society be created by any Tom Dick or Harry or a person required for this unremitting struggle must be the most competent person in the country?
When investigating the attributes of a leader, it is better to get some examples from other countries. However, when we see the leadership of different countries in the world, we find that they all call themselves “politicians”. Now, we have two problems to solve, one is to search the attributes of a leader for Pakistan and how they differ from the traits of a politician.
This is a very serious problem with research, you set up to find an answer to one question, and in the end, you have more problems to solve. Having not given up, let us start analyzing the qualities of a leader and the traits of a politician.
This document is a proposal for setting up directions for differentiating a “leader” from a “politician”. Since all this research is for making the world a better place to live, with a focus on Pakistan, we need to find a sincere leader for Pakistan who is honest, professionally competent, and humble enough to uphold the rule of law for himself and for every citizen.
A true leader will lead the nation from the front by self-example; he will hold himself responsible first rather than raise fingers at others for any failures. To this effect, this document sets out a guideline for revitalizing the concepts of leadership selection, the responsibilities of leaders towards their nation, and paving the way to a healthy economy and a proud nation. This analysis will hold true in a global context as well.
Vision
In the context of Pakistan, every citizen is a stakeholder in a state. Every citizen has equal rights according to the constitution of Pakistan. It is like a family where every child gets love, affection, and all essential services justifiable to the age and situation. It is now very important to understand the difference between equality and justice. For this purpose, it is important to understand the selection and professional development of two main groups: leaders and the people.
- Leaders are honest professionals, whose vision and subsequent actions should groom every citizen of the nation into an honest professional.
- People are citizens who receive essential services. Hence any aspect of life necessary for producing (a) Leaders, is professionally and justifiably received without compromising any morality.
Difference Between a Leader and a Politician
With 70 years into the grinding mill, the Pakistani nation is lucky to have the Quran as guidance and remarkable visionaries and leaders like Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The difference between leaders and politicians is elaborated below with different attributes in comparison for a better understanding of the readers.
In my opinion, this non-exhaustive comparison between a leader and a politician is presented to gauge anyone who claims to be a leader. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a true leader of Pakistan, and so was Tun Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003. A leader should have integrity, strong character, morality, strength, vision, knowledge, and sincerity as given in the Quran. A leader may have any faith but will be just and shall always promote humanity.
The following checklist is given to identify if someone’s choice of a person is a leader or a politician; this can be done by ticking the boxes. The traits of personalities are given for the reader to decide if their choice of leader is sincere to them and the nation or if are they just deceiving us like all the politicians since 1948.
The people of Pakistan should write the name of the person whom they consider to be a leader in the table below. Then start ticking the boxes with attributes that are found in that person. At the end of the checklist, add up to find if this person is a leader or a politician by adding up the total.
Points scored: Name: __________________________ Leader: ____ Politician_____
| Leader | Politician | ||
| a | A person who is sincere to his nation | A person who is sincere to self | |
| b | Considers nation as own children and will sacrifice even their own family for nation, leaving heritage for the nation | Will never consider nation as their children and will always steal from the nation for their own greed and family | |
| c | A leader will have good knowledge of politics and will use his knowledge for defending his nation from nation’s enemies | A politician will always pacify his nation to support other nations’ concepts; to maintain power with foreign support | |
| d | Will have vision that will prove his sincerity in future | Will not have vision but will deceive to be a visionary | |
| e | Will ensure that justice and not politics in every form prevails in the country by presenting himself first for accountability | Will ensure that justice is denied and politics prevail in the country in every sector and will always evade accountability | |
| f | Will understand the canvas and scope of politics and will play accordingly. He will not be power-hungry | Will make sure that he deceives his nation about politics, and uses politics to seize power, making his nation weak | |
| g | A leader is an honest person and never seeks any personal gains, denying nepotism and transfer of power to heirs | A politician always seeks personal gains and hence will always behave like a contractor seeking personal advantage | |
| h | A leader uses authority for national benefit making plans and policies for empowering people | A politician is a greedy and power-hungry person and will make policies to empowering politicians and not the rule of law | |
| i | Will be knowledgeable and bold | A timid person who supports illiterate politicians | |
| j | Will ensure that merit prevails in all institutions and will never interfere with the selection procedures | He will ensure that merit never prevails otherwise he will never be in power for stealing his nation | |
| k | He will make policies to abolish poverty to inculcate pride and morality in his nation | He will ensure that poverty increases and people seek his favours and stay indebted to him | |
| l | He will ensure that broad based industries are established for creating jobs and improving GDP | He will always promote imports to get his share in the deal. His actions will increase import bill and reduce exports | |
| m | He will ensure that all loopholes for the black economy are sealed thereby increasing revenue to broaden tax base | He will ensure that loopholes are created for stealing the nation and will corrupt the revenue collection system | |
| n | He will never seek personal or national loans from any monetary institution | He will always seek monetary help and keep his money in foreign banks through deals and kickbacks | |
| o | His policies will promote local manufacturing and will tax imports | His policies will support imports, excessively tax local production, and abolish exports and indigenous production | |
| p | He will support his nation and nationals in foreign countries | He will make sure that he never annoys his foreign masters by supporting his nation or nationals abroad | |
| q | He will promote education and welfare in his country | He will not give sizable budget to education and health | |
| r | He sees his nation as brothers in faith or equals in humanity | He will follow the divide and rule method, promoting linguistic, religious, geographic and social divides to be successful | |
| s | He will use politics at international level and justice in the country. Will stand tall in the international arena | He will promote politics at home and will not know international politics, causing embarrassment to the nation | |
| t | A leader is born; you may teach leadership, but in trying situations, only a true leader responds to it. A leader is born in families of true and pious people. | A politician is born a politician as his genetic input is a politician, so a politician’s son is a politician like a rat’s offspring will be rats. | |
| u | A leader will normally come from a rich family and will lose his money for the betterment of his nation | Initially poor, he steals his nation, considers them as subjects. and leaves his children to take his place | |
| v | A leader will bring all his money to his country | When a politician retires or thrown off, he will have a lot of assets in his country and in other countries | |
| w | Leader will always offer his self for accountability | Politician will always evade it and will call it the opening of a Pandora’s box | |
| x | A leader will always teach you honesty, integrity, justice, sincerity, and novel methods to make his nation strong & rich | A politician will never help his country in becoming a respectable nation | |
| y | In short, a leader is a person whose mission is to see his nation at the top and he never sacrifices any moral, ethical or character aspects to seize power and money | In short, a politician is a contractor whose mission is to grab money and power no matter whatever the cost. So, he sacrifices all morals and virtue to get it |
All previous political parties have failed to deliver whatever they ever claimed. They claimed to provide ‘Roti, Kapra and Makaan’ and snatched all three things from Pakistanis. By seeking foreign loans, they sold each person like a slave. This is not a conventional ‘political’ manifesto because the author very well understands that ‘politics’ is not the art of serving the people; it is the art of governing and controlling the people.
Governing or controlling may be done by making innocent people a fool or if they are not fools then by brute strength and power. If anyone understands the difference between a leader and a politician then they will be searching for a ‘leader’ and not a ‘politician’. If the concept between a leader and a politician is clear to the reader, this should set up for searching for a leader who will deliver Justice and not order (forcefully).
The argument about ensuring justice through order is wrong. If the system keeps delivering Justice then order will be restored. If anyone tries to seek justice through order, this will be known as a revolution. This manifesto aims to deliver justice in all its forms including financial justice and alleviation of poverty by implementing original riba-free systems as directed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the opening address of the State Bank of Pakistan on 1st July 1948.
Owing to the pivotal place a central bank occupies in the financial setup of a country, Mr. Zahid Hussain the First Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan had requested the Father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to perform its inauguration ceremony. Quaid-i-Azam interrupted his stay in Zirarat and flew to Karachi against medical advice. Incidentally, this ceremony was also the last public function attended by the Quaid.
This can be achieved by using ‘Aqal’ (logic), a quality that differentiates humans from animals. The reason that Allah had to send 124,000 Prophets was to deliver what Allah wanted on planet Earth: a simple message to humanity. ‘The one who saved a life has saved the whole of humanity’; this is very well explained in humane philosophies by Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his poetry as follows:
خدا کے عاشق تو ہیں ہزاروں، بنوں میں پھرتے ہیں مارے مارے
میں اسکا بندا بنوں گا جسکو خدا کے بندوں سے پیار ہو گا
This manifesto is non-exhaustive and will lead to improving or rewriting the constitution of Pakistan in the light of the principles given in the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW). Public money and public property are sacred trusts and shall never be excused to anyone but to the deserving poor. All resources of the State will be employed for the welfare of the citizens of Pakistan at home and abroad ensuring complete procedures and transparency. The main points of the manifesto are as follows:
- Formulation of policies and legislation for implementation in the light of Quran, Sunnah, and the guidelines of Allama Iqbal and Quiad-e-Azam Muhamad Ali Jinnah. This will include the progressive development of the society and the State of Pakistan.
- Any person found guilty of creating any social, geographical, linguistic, or religious divisions or supporting any division between the citizens of Pakistan at home or abroad will be treated as a traitor. No one will be allowed to carry weapons in the country.
- Any person found guilty of harming the nation directly or indirectly will be tried for treason including money laundering acts.
- Every citizen of Pakistan has equal rights irrespective of religion or social status. Nobody is above the law including all public and civil servants. The president, public servants, and judicial servants are questionable and will cease to hold office until cleared from the judicial system. If an act of defamation is proved against the plaintiff then he will be prosecuted without mercy.
- The manifesto will ensure the creation of policies for the selection of the most competent and suitable person for all the public offices. This includes all the pay grades including ministers, prime minster, and president. Selected persons will give presentations to the Senate and the public proving their understanding of the problems and showing vision and strategies to solve national problems.
- The person so selected shall display integrity, sincerity to the nation, sound character, and commitments beyond any doubt. By receiving salaries from public office, ministers will be called Senior Public Servants; the prime minister will be called the Chief Public Servant, and the president will be called the President of the country. They will maintain the title of Ministers and Prime Minister when travelling abroad. Public servants are answerable to the public for their actions and will respect every citizen irrespective of status.
- Independent annual audits of all the institutions including Security Printing Press and State Bank of Pakistan will be carried out.
- Personal property rights will be ensured, but every property must have an owner’s title. Any property without a personal or commercial title will belong to the state of Pakistan. Personal or commercial property will have to be justified proving legitimate means of earning. If the means of earning are not justified, the property will belong to the State of Pakistan.
- Budgets will focus on providing essential public services and facilities at nominal costs. No public property will be sold to foreigners. In case foreign direct investment is required, the State will own a major share in all projects generating jobs.
- Budgets will focus on establishing broad-based industries, increasing the tax base, and creating jobs. Industrialization that may cause unemployment will not be supported by public funds. The private sector that will create more employment will be supported.
- Unemployed citizens will be provided free food, medical facilities, housing, education, and all necessities of life.
- Islamic laws will be enforced for all heinous crimes. Death penalties will be granted publicly at the location of the crime.
- All the citizens of Pakistan in the country and abroad will be represented by the State of Pakistan for their welfare and security.
- Innovation, research, and development will be supported by the State giving due intellectual property rights to the inventors.
- Renewable energy sectors will be supported by the State for the preservation of natural energy resources and sustainability.
- Any more clause may be added in line with clause (a).
Procedure for Selection to Public Office
When it comes to the selection of a CEO for politicians’ own businesses, they appoint the most competent person; when a CEO is required for Pakistan, the most corrupt politician gets elected. This corrupt practice must be seized at the earliest if Pakistanis have any ambition to prosper. Even though the constitution of Pakistan is claimed to be derived from the Quran, politicians and a few pseudo-journalists keep suggesting that article 62 and 63, which define the character of a leader, must be ignored or deleted.
The last paragraph of the second para ‘Seqool’ of the Quran governs the character of a leader for any success. The guidelines from the Quran confirm that the most competent person should be entrusted with the leadership of the State. Any public servant must be selected by the Public Service Commission like the selection of public servants in other institutions.
Based on the eligibility conditions and professionalism, the citizen with the most upright character and competence must be selected to lead the country. The names of the eligible candidates should be forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan for allotment of electoral signs. If the winning candidate fails to get more than 50% votes, then the top two may be asked to go to the second round of voting.
The one who gets more than 50% of votes shall be appointed as the CEO of Pakistan. The appointed person should be allowed to select his own team based on professional competence and eligibility. When the tenure is about to be completed, new vacancies should be announced and the process be completed accordingly.
Conditions to Stay in Office
The appointed person must have policies that will be enforced forthwith. Ninety days are sufficient for policies to take root. If the policies are good and progressive, the economy will improve; this can be evaluated from the international currency exchange rates. If the economy does not show signs of improvement, the Senate may consider the selection of a new CEO. Like any professional, the selected team should give performance guarantees or else may vacate the office for a better professional.
Pay and Assets of Leadership as Performance Guarantees
All those who consider themselves fit for the post of CEO of Pakistan shall give pay and 50% of their assets as performance guarantees if they fail to improve economic conditions and bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan. Those who fail to prove their claims shall return the salaries they collected during the tenure and remit 50% of their assets to Pakistan for wasting the time of the country. This performance-oriented professional approach to the selection of leadership will bring true, competent, and sincere professional leadership to the limelight.
Recommendations and Personal Guarantees for Performance
Due to my inquisitive nature and interest in solving complex problems and academic qualifications, I am professionally qualified to make this statement that Pakistan’s six months revenue is sufficient to pay the salaries of all the public servants. The rest is normally stolen from the nation by the politicians in power.
I am sure to have serious resistance to my suggestions from pseudo-intellectuals and journalists. Sincere Pakistanis will support my suggestions and the incompetent ones will try to reject it proving it to be impossible. In such a case, I can show the nation that my suggestions are possible and workable. Given a chance to serve my nation, I am ready to give 50% of my assets as guarantees if I fail to give performance as suggested in this document.
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