lection manifestoes of the country’s religious parties primarily focus on the enforcement of Shariah laws leading to the establishment of a just society where rights of all strata are protected and basic needs of everybody are met.

A glance at the manifestoes of the frontline religious parties shows that the enforcement of laws derived from Holy Quran and Sunnah is the cornerstone of their appeal to the voters. That done, they also promise to guarantee the fundamental rights for all sections of the society and an independent judiciary. They promise an independent foreign policy and invincible defence. They promise to do with riba, indirect taxes, hoarding and profiteering. They say they will modernise agriculture and industry, provide cheap energy and bring down the prices. They also commit themselves to the provision of quality education and healthcare.

Most religious parties want to restore the country’s sovereignty by getting rid of the International Monetary Fund. They want to boost production to achieve self-reliance and eliminate unemployment, illiteracy and poverty. They also lay great emphasis on strengthening the democratic institutions. They also want to revamp the taxation system.

The minimum common apart, the manifestoes differ in priorities and emphasis on various objectives.

Considering the religious parties have never wielded power except as part of some coalitions, their manifestoes have never been implemented. Yet the documents are important indicators of their sensibilities.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s secretary general Amir-ul Azeem says the party wants to make Pakistan “a fortress of Islam, with a genuine democracy to enable the masses to resolve their problems and liberate them from the exploitative yoke of the capitalists/ feudal lords.” He says the JI manifesto reflects its policies for economy, foreign affairs, education, health and infrastructure development. “It’s up to the voters to choose the right candidates to representthem,” he says.

Prof Hafiz Abubakar Chaudhri, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam deputy secretary general, says it is sad that some political leaders have been part of a conspiracy to promote secularism and malign Islam. He regrets that some manifestoes carry promises that are not meant to be fulfilled. As a result, he says, many people in Pakistan no longer vote on the basis of these manifestoes. He says manifestoes are more important in countries where people vote for policies and the personalities are secondary.

JI was one of the earliest parties to announce its manifesto. Unlike some other parties, the JI manifesto has changed little over decades. There are only minor changes in view of the circumstances, says a party spokesperson. The party wants to uproot what it calls the exploitative capitalist system and replace it with one based on Holy Quran and the Sunnah. It says it will guarantee the rights of all human being irrespective of cast, creed and race etc. It promises to establish an Islamic welfare government that will provide for all basic needs, including food, shelter, education, health and employment. It will pursue an independent foreign policy and cultivate friendly relations with Islamic countries. It will protection the rights of women and minorities and work to reduce inequality.

The manifesto provides for compulsory military training for the youth. It wants provincial quotas in the armed forces. The police are to be given better training to control crimes and eradicate terrorism. The JI is promising effective accountability at all levels of governance.

It promises energetic efforts to bring about the unity of the Islamic world. It will take practical measures for the liberation of Kashmir and Palestine. It will establish permanent price review committees to preserve the purchasing power of the common man. It will overhaul the electoral laws to end the advantage the capitalists and feudal lords currently enjoy. It will distribute state land among landless farmers. The homeless families in rural areas shall get 7-marla plots to build their houses. Those living in katchi abadis shall get ownership rights to their houses. The construction of houses on more than six hundred square in cities will be banned. Basic facilities shall be provided in villages to curb rural-urban migration. Energy prices will be brought down.

The JUI-F says its manifesto shall make Islam the state religion. Islamic provisions of the constitution shall not be amended. The constitution shall be Islamised in line with the 22-point charter agreed by top scholars in 1951. Mon-Muslims shall not be appointed to key offices. Criticism of Islamic tenets will not be allowed. Hudood punishments will be awarded and executed.

The JUI wants parliamentary elections to be held among parties on the basis of manifestoes rather than contests between individual candidates. The allocation of parliamentary seats among the parties shall be on the basis of their vote percentage. It will allot lands to landless peasants, establish small industries in rural areas, open cooperative stores for non-profit sales of basic needs, ban all riba-based trasactions and revamp economy and banking system on Islamic principles of Mudarba and Musharka.

The JUI-F shall nationalise all industries linked to defence and public welfare. Land shall be aken away from feudal lords and distributed among landless farmers. Those revving barren lands shall be allotted that land. The rights of both land owners and peasants shall be protected.

The JUI-F wants appointment of judges to be based purely merit. Penal and procedural laws shall be amended in the light of Shariah. Accountability of government officials shall be strengthened. All un-Islamic taxes shall be abolished to relieving the poor and the middle income people.

All adult Muslims shall get military training.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan manifesto also focuses on establishing Islamic governance, by enforcing the Nizam-i-Mustafa (peace be upon him), and ensuring that respect for the finality of the prophethood as enshrined in the constitution is not violated. It calls for making the country an Islamic welfare state by ensuring that fundamental rights of every citizen are respected. Un-Islamic laws and practices are to be abolished. Foreign policy is to be independent. The Judiciary is to be independent from the Executive. Nuclear assets are to be protected at all costs. Rights of women, minorities and workers are to be protected. Every child is to get the same education.

Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen is calling for long term policies/ legislation (at least 50 years) to ensure devolution of power, independence of Election Commission to guarantee free and fair elections and abolishing use of money in elections. Its manifesto calls for National Defence Policy to be approved by the parliament in an in-camera session. It will ensure complete eradication of terrorism. It will legislate harsh punishments for hate speech. Those involved in militancy or hate speeches will not be allowed to run for public office. Kashmir and Palestine will be liberated. The two-state solution to Palestine dispute shall be rejected. The armed forces shall be strengthened. The energy sector shall be revamped. Pakistan will have friendly relations with all countries and brotherly relations with the Muslim world.

The manifesto of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan promises to enforce Islamic Shariah, safeguard the provisions regarding the finality of prophethood and keep deterrent punishments for blasphemy. Un-Islamic practices shall be abolished and interest-based transactions banned. The rights of women and minorities shall be protected. The poor and the needy shall be provided for.

Laws will be made to deter obscenity. Army will be provided advanced weapons and latest technology. The economy will be rid of riba-based systems and the influence of foreign donors. Panchayats will be enabled to resolve disputes to reduce the burden on courts. Governance shall be devolved to the union council level.

The writer is a senior political reporter