Islamic ethics of governance

A state exists and thrives when laws prevail over whims of individuals. Pakistan was established through a constitutional struggle waged by politicians of intellect and integrity for the creation of a welfare state, with a constitution as the supreme law. It was not created to be a fiefdom of a few. All leading stalwarts of Pakistan’s freedom struggle were educated men and women who believed in universally accepted norms and ethics of governance. Most of them devoted their lives to the pursuit of achieving an independent state where the Muslim majority could live in peace and harmony with members of other faiths. Adherence to ethics of governance such as “conflicts of interest” was stressed upon by Holy Prophet PBUH and adopted by his companions such as Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Usman, Hazrat Ali etc., in letter and spirit. It is important for national security and sovereignty that all appointments to public office should be strictly made on merit. Nations prosper only when the most qualified amongst them are selected to hold offices funded by the national exchequer. It is equally important that those who hold important constitutional and paid offices should have no history of any financial irregularity, such as loan defaulters by design. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah stressed the importance of a moral code of ethics. He led by example and warned that Pakistan must shed unethical legacies of the British colonial Raj. There should be no compromise on the loyalty of citizens to Pakistan and no place for individuals with split loyalties in the corridors of power. It is time to recognize that all is not well in Pakistan. The ease with which a gross irregularity such as the construction of Constitution One Avenue was allowed in 2005, on land allotted by CDA for a much-needed hotel to accommodate foreign VIPs, reflects the seriousness of the governance crisis. CDA was created to regulate construction in accordance with laws and regulations, with a key respon