Pakistan Headlines 28/10/19

Headlines:

• FATF is a Political Tool to Pressure Pakistan into Dismantling Financial Support Infrastructure of Afghan and Kashmir Resistance
• The State of Madinah Will not be Established by Taking on More Interest (Riba) Based Loans

Details:

FATF is a Political Tool to Pressure Pakistan into Dismantling Financial Support Infrastructure of Afghan and Kashmir Resistance

On 19 October 2019, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan by February 2020, with the country to remain on its ‘grey list’ till then. On 22 October, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, stated that, “Pakistan is committed to fully implementing FATF action plan to counter money laundering and terrorist financing by Feb 2020 and there is no disagreement among various government institutions on this matter.” Pakistan was placed on FATF ‘grey-list’ in 2012, after being declared uncooperative to its compliance and a source for terror funding. In June 2018, Pakistan was given a 15-month deadline to implement a 27-point action plan agreed with the FATF.

Ever since the War of Terror started in 2001, the US and its allies have been trying to suppress every form of support to Kashmiri and Afghani resistance movements. These include crushing the physical Jihad infrastructure in the form of dismantling camps and offices and target killing those who cross the border to wage Jihad.  The second front has been the choking of the financial support infrastructure. This support infrastructure in Pakistan has served as a pillar of the resistance movement for the past 18 years in Afghanistan and past the three decades in Kashmir. To effectively outsource the whole counter terrorism effort to the regimes in Muslim world, a complete set of check lists have been built up, including surveillance of individuals and groups involved in providing financial support, prosecuting such individuals and groups, making new and tougher laws to criminalize such support of resistance, even to the extent of making laws to stop the collection of sacrificial skins by Islamic groups. These policies are part of the requirements of the ‘action plan’ of FATF. This enables the regime to follow the Western agenda and crack down on all support infrastructure of Afghan and Kashmir resistance, whilst hiding behind the mantra of ‘fulfilment of international obligations.’

In reality, FATF is nothing more than a political tool to keep Pakistan under pressure. Like the IMF dictation of economic policy, FATF is dictating the colonialist plan related to Pakistan for dismantling the support infrastructure of the Kashmir and Afghan resistance. If FATF was serious about money laundering, it should have first focused on closing down tax heavens in Western countries, which are the hub of all laundered money from the Third World. The legal requirements of FATF are so complex and overarching that even if Pakistan complies with all the 40 points, FATF would come up with new “do more” clauses to ensure Pakistan prostrates in full servitude to every Western demand.  We have already seen the result of complying with such international pressures in the form of complete abandonment of the Kashmiri Muslims by the Pakistani regime, after the Indian forceful annexation of Occupied Kashmir.

It is time, that instead of operating like a client state of colonialist powers, that use institutions like the UN, NATO, IMF, FATF and the like, to control the Muslim World, we need to look towards Islam for solutions. Allah (swt) said,

[وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً]

“And Allah does not permit the believers to grant the disbelievers authority over themselves.” [Surah Al-Nisa 4:141] The Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood will reject such institutions and their demands and launch a strong campaign to expose their real face and end their hegemony, so that the world is saved from the evil of these institutions, taking humanity out from darkness of Kufr to the light of Islam. Allah (swt) said,

[وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ]

“And we have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.” [Surah al-Anbiya 21:107]

The State of Madinah Will not be Established by Taking on More Interest (Riba) Based Loans

Prime Minister Imran Khan on 18 October 2019 launched the first phase of “Kamyab Jawan (Successful Youth) Programme” under which merit-based loans amounting to Rs100 billion will be disbursed amongst youth. The PM said there would be three categories of loans. The loans of up to Rs100,000 will be interest-free. The other two categories include loans of up to Rs 500,000 and Rs 5 million. The prime minister promised to follow the model of state of Madina established by Prophet Muhammad (saaw).

Every child of the Ummah knows that interests invites war with Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw). Interest was completely forbidden in the State of Madinah established by the RasulAllah (saaw). Whenever theState of Madina sanctioned a loan to a needy person, it never demanded interest. Rather the State of Madina gave cash and land as grants to her citizens, so they can earn their livelihood. Nothing can be more shameful than someone claiming to follow the ideals of the State of Madinah, whilst allowing interest. The State of Madinah is not established by mere Dua’a or proclamations of good intentions. It is only established when Islam is comprehensively implemented in every field of life including economy. In fact the Bajwa-Imran knows well that in a man-made system, whether it is in the form of democracy or dictatorship, the laws of Islam can never be implemented. Imran deceived the Muslims of Pakistan in the name of State of Madinah, gaining their support to some extent in order to become the ruler of Pakistan. However, his one year rule has manifestly established that he neither has any intention nor any preparation for implementing Islam. And now, without any shame, Imran Khan announces an interest based loan scheme while holding a Tasbeeh in his hand.

The Muslims of Pakistan must realize that in democracy and dictatorship, implementation of Islam is mere a dream. In fact, this system cannot even order the eradication of interest, a clear sin that invites the punishment of Allah (swt). Democracy and dictatorships are not the ruling systems of Islam. People have already experimented with the so-called ‘honest’ leadership but it badly failed. The same result will happen if some supposedly really honest jump on the bandwagon. The ruling system of Islam is the Khilafah (Caliphate). The Khilafah State gives interest free loans, granting cash or land to the needy people. Allah (swt) said,

[الَّذِيۡنَ يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ الرِّبٰوا لَا يَقُوۡمُوۡنَ اِلَّا كَمَا يَقُوۡمُ الَّذِىۡ يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ مِنَ الۡمَسِّ]

“Those who consume interest will stand ˹on Judgment Day like those driven to madness by Satan’s touch.” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275].