Mufti Taqi Usmani calls for public action amid political, economic crises

KARACHI: Renowned Islamic Scholar and Sheikh-ul-Hadith Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has said that “if the public stands up for themselves, they can bring the government to its knees” as touched on the issue of vote fraud that emerges after every election in Pakistan.

Addressing an event in Karachi on Saturday, Mufti Usmani deplored that “the West has been idealised in every facet of life”. Noting that Allah Almighty has blessed the country with so many resources, he questioned “which natural wealth we do not possess”.

"However, we have yet not even been able to pave a metalled road to Lake Saif-ul-Muluk, nor have we laid any railway lines since the ones constructed by the British," he remarked.

Mufti Usmani posed a critical question: "Where did we go wrong, and where does the root of our mistakes lie?"

Lamenting that the nation is now a "slave" to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the top Islamic scholar said, “This [dependency] has indebted every child in the country.”

"We cannot function without the IMF. In view of these circumstances, bringing about an Islamic system through the political one seems tough to me. It is not the governments, but the people who bring about revolutions," he stated.

The esteemed religious scholar said the nation was currently a victim of both political and economic crises, noting that “politically, we are in disarray, and economically, we have hit rock bottom and given the circumstances despair is gripping every person.”

Stressing the pivotal role of the business community and dubbing it the lifeline of any nation, Mufti Usmani urged traders to compel politicians to follow the right path.

He said think tanks around the world focus on long-term policies, while here in Pakistan, “slogans of fraud begin to blare after each election”.

"We have idealised the West in every sector of life. If traders and the public once make up their minds to stop using imported goods, the influx of such products into the country will halt," Mufti Usmani argued.

“I believe that only through the unity and consensus of the business community can the issue of imported goods be addressed,” he said.

Highlighting a plethora of problems looking the the country in the eye, the scholar said that despite a serious dearth of foreign exchange there was no restriction on imports.

He questioned: Why does the IMF oppose such restrictions, what’s the interest of the lender of the last resort in it? "As slaves, we are bound to toe the lines of international financial institutions,” the scholar sounded off.

He said it was the need of the hour to launch a movement to stop importing goods, especially from those enemies [countries] who were "slitting the throats" of Muslims.

In this regard, the traders and the public must make a decision, as the government cannot, he asserted.