PRIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday stressed the need for collective efforts by all segments of the society including Ulema and Mushaikh to transform Pakistan into a true Islamic welfare state in line with the principles of the State of Madinah. Addressing the Ulema and Mushaikh Conference in Islamabad, he called on the Muslim states to raise their voices against Islamophobia and urged religious scholars to play their role in rooting out the menace of corruption and promoting Islamic values.
Ulema and Mushaikh, no doubt, have played a crucial role in preserving the national identity and they have the potential to contribute immensely for the cause provided governments take them on board on important policy issues. As per Constitution, Pakistan is an Islamic Republic and no law against the teachings of Islam can be promulgated in the country but regrettably successive governments made only symbolic contribution to help realize the objective of transforming Pakistan into a true Islamic welfare state where each and every sphere of life is modelled on the pattern of State of Madinah.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that whatever Islamic character of the country we witness today is mainly due to the role of religious scholars, mosques and Islamic seminaries. Ulema and Mushaikh are playing their role but the successive governments showed least interest in Islamization of laws, judicial processes and economy.
Ulema and Mushaikh can, no doubt, help trigger an intellectual revolution as has been stated by the Prime Minister but it would be unjust on the part of the Government not to do anything to nip the evil of corruption through administrative reforms and punitive actions and instead pinning hopes merely on the religious scholars. What prevents the Government to take action against a corrupt SHO, Patwari or for that matter a corrupt employee of discos and gas companies? Similarly, the government’s initiatives like shelter homes, Langar Khanas and health cards are just emblematic and contribute negligibly to the cause of an Islamic welfare state.
