Pakistan desires peace with all to rise with pride, dignity in comity of nations: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said having a strong desire of peace with all sans any fear from and submitting to any world power, Pakistan would rise in the comity of nations with pride and dignity by following the principles of State of Madina, including democracy, meritocracy, justice and rule of law.

“Neither we will fight others war nor to submit before any one. We want peace with all,” he said while addressing a gathering of students from Balochistan here at the Prime Minister Office.

The prime minister referred to the United States’ repeated “do more” mantra regarding peace in Afghanistan in the past and said now they (US), what he had been saying since the beginning, were seeking Pakistan’s help for a negotiated and peaceful resolution of the Afghan problem.

He regretted that Pakistani leaders in the past continued to give an impression to the people that if they did not submit to the super power’s desire of fighting others war, the country would face great difficulties.

The prime minister said the Pakistanis were a great nation, which was bestowed with all natural resources by Almighty Allah.

It was destined to rise as also declared by poet philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal, by following the principles of Islam inscribed in the Holy Quran.

He said a person, be rich or poor, having dignity, respect and the understanding about “La Ilaha Illalah Muhammad Dur Rasoolullah” never submitted to anyone.

The prime minister highlighted the importance of vision for the nations as those without any vision always ceased to exist.

He said the creation of Pakistan was the result of a two-nation theory pursued by the founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali as well as the philosophy of a separate homeland for the Muslims of subcontinent presented by Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

The prime minister lauded the strong leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was once the advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity, but due to the rigid attitude of Hindu leaders later realized the importance of a separate homeland for the Muslims and led the Pakistan movement struggle from the front.

He said it was the will power and determination of a big leader like the Quaid-e-Azam, which led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947, considered an impossible task even by some Muslim leaders of that era.

The prime minister said the philosophy of Allama Iqbal about the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims was the emergence of a model Muslim country which pursued the policies based on Islamic teachings and that of the State of Madina.

He said the principles and policies pursued by Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) in the State of Madina were formulated with consensus.

The Holy Prophet (PBUM) was considered as a great leader in the world history.

The prime minister said the State of Madina, which was based on the principles of democracy, meritocracy, justice and rule of law, was such a state in which the Caliphs appeared before the court of law.

He said unfortunately the Muslim world, which started from the principles of democracy, moved towards monarchy and the Western world, which started from monarchy, later adopted the democratic principles.

Referring to the Zakat system of Islam, the prime minister said it was the best taxation system which ensured the receipt of more tax from the rich and less from low income groups for its use for the betterment of poor in the state.

Such a taxation system was being pursued by the West, especially the Scandinavian countries, for the welfare of poor segments, he added.

The prime minister said China also followed those principles and retrieved some 700 million people from poverty.

“In Pakistan rich became richer and the poor became poorer. The developed areas were further developed while the backward areas were neglected,” he said, referring to Rs 70,000 per capita allocation for development in Lahore as against Rs 2,500 per capita in Rajanpur, a district in South Punjab.

He said the present government by following the principles of State of Madina would eliminate the difference between the areas of rich and poor, and would raise the poor.

Khan referred to equality of rights to everyone, including women, provided in Islam and ensured in the State of Madina, and said the last of sermon of Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a great human rights charter.

“If we have to raise this country, we will have to follow those principles,” he added.

The prime minister told the students from Balochistan that have got a good chief minister.

The government would do all to improve the lot of poor across the country, including Balochistan, he added.

He said the government was also bringing a legislation to ensure the provision of due share to women in inheritance as per Islamic Sharia.