Shaukat Hayat
TODAY Muslims have been confronted and encircled by numerous problems and adversities at all fronts. Although there exist many evils and bad customs in our society, one of the worst evils is usury or interest-based system totally repugnant to the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Usury is actually the practice to lend money at an exorbitant rate/interest.
Unfortunately, the roots of the so-called evils are getting stronger with the passing of each day generally in the world and especially in Pakistan. This disease has spread so much in our surroundings that even the common man is not aware about its negative consequences. On the other hand the economic status of the people is also being affected and downgraded by this evil. That is the reason that poverty ratio is increasing day by day undoubtedly and the poor segment of the society especially those living already under the poverty line have to pass through a very tough time and mental agony.
If we look toward our Thana or Police Culture, here too we see the practicing of this social evil. Our hospitals, Patwar (Houses) and even every member of our society are associated with this bad practice in one form or the other. In other words there exists a usury-based system in every department of our life, and this has shattered our economic system to an unbelievable extent. However, here our subject matter is a different and unique type of interest-based system particularly spread up in almost regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at very large-scale. One of my friends narrated that he was in need of some money to fulfil some of his requirements.
For this purpose he borrowed one lakh rupees from a bargain centre owner. The bargain centre owner gave him a vehicle at the rate of Rs 1 lakh and 50000 on the condition that the said amount be paid back in cash within one month’s deadline. But just at the same time the bargain centre owner bought back the said vehicle from him at 1 lakh in cash amount. In this way the needy one succeeded to get a cash of one lakh to fulfil his demands by striking a very unique and illegal bargain with the owner.
Although he fulfilled his needs but he had no requisite money to pay it back to the actual owner after the expiry of one month deadline. In order to pay this amount he again struck a deal with the same bargain centre owner and this time he borrowed a vehicle at the rate of Rs 3 lack and sold him back at Rs 2 lakh in cash. In this way he paid his remaining debt of Rs 1 and half lack but again entangled in a debt of further Rs 3 lakhs. Ultimately he became bankrupt after striking bargains in a very short span of time. Likewise there are many young people of our regions like Malakand, Dir, Swat, Buner, Sawabi, Mardan and so on who have been entangled and engulfed by this mean practice and likely to become bankrupt. This private business prevailing particularly in our society is usually named by the people as under play or Under Palay in local dialect. Under Play or Under Palay is being witnessed and experienced in many things like the illegal trade of motor cycles, motor cars, property etc is much flourishing everywhere in almost regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The bargain centres situated in different cities and towns of the province are the main hubs and abodes for the flourishing of this menace of under play. The bargain centre owners are fleecing the poor and needy people with both hands by enforcing them to adopt this evil practice. This has certainly pushed poverty stricken people toward further states of poverty and impoverishment.
—The writer is freelancer, based in Buner, KP
