Justice is one of the fundamental aspects of Islam. Allah SWT commands justice repeatedly in the Qur’an. Ibn Taymiyyah famously wrote that a nation based on justice may flourish even if it is non-Muslim, whereas an oppressive state will not endure even if it is Muslim. Living in New Zealand, we can appreciate firsthand the immense value that justice and functioning institutions bring to a society.
Imran Khan was a beacon of hope and light, not just for Pakistan but for many across the Muslim Ummah.
This book was written by Imran Khan prior to his becoming Prime Minister. I read it a few years ago and developed a real respect for his ideals, thinking and tenacity. The book intertwines Imran Khan’s life with the tumultuous history of Pakistan and sheds light on the absolute corruption within Pakistani politics.
Unlike many modern-day nation states whose outlines were carved out by colonisers, Pakistan is unique in that it was created specifically around the Muslim identity of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. Of course, partition itself was far from perfect — more than 200 million Muslims still live in India today.
Anyone familiar with Pakistani politics knows how weak its democratic system has historically been. The country has largely alternated between military rule and two powerful dynastic political parties, where leadership repeatedly remains within the same families. Nepotism at its finest. These two parties are responsible for plundering Pakistan's resources and wealth and becoming billionaires in the process.
One example from the book particularly stayed with me. Imran Khan recounts how, when Nawaz Sharif was in power, an overseas philanthropist agreed to donate several expensive pieces of medical equipment to his cancer hospital. Because the equipment was being donated to Imran Khan’s hospital, the Sharif family fought long and hard to stop the donations from entering the country. For them, their pride and political rivalry appeared more important than the health and wellbeing of the average Pakistani.
Imran Khan, on the other hand, built a grassroots political party from scratch. He did not come from a powerful political dynasty. His party took decades to grow in popularity and gain public trust. By the time he became Prime Minister, he had enormous support across the country and had become one of the most recognisable Muslim political leaders in the world.
One of the things many people admired about Imran Khan was that he was never shy about being Muslim or Pakistani. He happily ditched the Western coat, tie and trousers for shalwar kameez on international platforms and in Parliament. He was not embarrassed by his culture or identity. He stood up for oppressed people, spoke openly about the rights of the Palestinian people, and planted over a billion trees during his time as Prime Minister.
He was strong-minded, outspoken and unwilling to simply act as a puppet of neo-colonialist powers. It was arguably this strong-willed nature that made him so threatening to many powerful people and eventually contributed to his imprisonment.
Heartbreakingly, Imran Khan has now been languishing in jail for over three years, since a nasty and sinister plot against him began. The saddest part is that fellow Pakistani politicians and the powerful military played a major role in carrying it out. The sadness Imran Khan must feel, knowing how much of his life and effort he poured into Tehreek-e-Insaf, his political party, only to see opposing forces in Pakistan work to bring it down, must be immense.
What makes it even more painful is that this was not merely a political project for him, but something he had spent decades building, believing that Pakistan could be governed with greater justice, accountability and dignity. Perhaps the deepest pain is not his own imprisonment, but witnessing the vision he devoted so much of his life to being deliberately undermined. To watch years of sacrifice, struggle and hope being dismantled, while being imprisoned and separated from the people he sought to serve, must carry a grief that is difficult to put into words.
Please make dua for Imran Khan, and for all political prisoners across the Muslim world who are languishing in jails simply because they chose to stand for truth and justice.
You can read this great book here.