Dynasty and Personality Politics Can Never Bring Real Change

News:

On 18 May 2023, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, condemned the attack on army installations. He said the ruling PDM coalition wanted to eliminate PTI from mainstream politics by pitting the army against the opposition party.

As authorities cranked up the crackdown on PTI, in the wake of the violence that took place on 9 May, the former prime minister said his party has “no conflict” with the establishment.

Comment:

The Indian Subcontinent is plagued by personality and dynasty based politics. It prevents people from looking at ideology, policies, laws, constitution and systems clearly. It is the case regarding supporters of both the rulers and the opposition.

Since his ouster from the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan back in April 2022, Imran Khan and his supporters have considered his arrest as a red line. It simply means that nothing is more important than Imran Khan. This shows that the loyalties of the party supporters are tied with the leader of the party, instead of an ideology.

Yet, Imran Khan and his party supporters used to condemn such an attitude within their opposition. They used to condemn the followers of Altaf Hussain, leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a Karachi based party. They also condemned the Bhutto dynasty within the Pakistan People’s Party and the Sharif dynasty within the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz.

Dynastic and personality based politics makes the criteria of right or wrong, the speech and actions of the leader of the party. It has badly damaged the politics of Pakistan and the wider Muslim World. Instead of pursuing the interests of the people and Islam, politics has become the exploitation of party activists for the personal interests of their leaders. It is this politics that has prevented; the comprehensive implementation of Islam, the liberation of Kashmir and Palestine, defense of the honor of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and economic prosperity.

There is only one leader and one personality for the Muslims, the Messenger of Allah (saw). When the Messenger of Allah (saw) left this world, the Companions (ra) were shaken. However, the first Khaleefah of the Muslims, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) said,

 أَمَّا بَعْدُ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ:

‏[‏وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ]‏

“To proceed, if anyone amongst you used to worship Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but if (anyone of) you used to worship Allah, then Allah is Alive and shall never die. Allah said, “Muhammad is no more than an Apostle, and indeed (many) apostles have passed away before him.” (Surah Aali Imran 3.144).” (Bukhari). After that, the Muslims firmed their resolve and confirmed their commitment to Islam, and its state, the Khilafah Rashidah.

The Muslims of Pakistan must abandon the politics of dynasty and personality. They must embrace the politics based on the Deen of Islam and work to establish the state that will implement Islam, the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood. It is Hizb ut Tahrir that has prepared a draft constitution and a library of books, detailing the Shariah rulings regarding policy, law and constitution. So let the Muslims turn away from the secular politics of dynasty and personality. Let them work with Hizb ut Tahrir to re-establish the ruling by all that Allah (swt) has revealed.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Engineer Shahzad Sheikh
Deputy to the Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Pakistan