Justice is one of the fundamental aspects of Islam. Allah SWT commands justice repeatedly in the Qur’an. Ibn Taymiyyah (a well-known scholar) 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 is one of the most iconic and recognisable Muslims in the world. As a young medical student in the South Island, working in remote areas such as Takaka and Invercargill, I would always be asked where I was from — despite sounding just as Kiwi as them! As soon as I said Pakistan, every New Zealander who had been tuned into cricket during the 1992 World Cup immediately remembered and recognised Imran Khan. I felt great pride that people could remember a famous Muslim for his achievements, even in rural areas of New Zealand.
And how could they not? New Zealand and Australia co-hosted the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the semi-final at Eden Park in Auckland, then defeated England in the final, becoming world champions for the first time. Imran Khan’s excellent leadership was evident on the field even back then. I want you to think about the lack of funding and coaching available to Pakistani players at the time - Pakistan has never been a wealthy country. Now think: despite all the odds against this team, it was Imran Khan's leadership that led them to victory. Let that fact settle in.
Pakistan: A Personal History is a book Imran Khan wrote before he became Prime Minister. I first came across this book during a visit to Karachi — Pakistan’s largest city, its major port and trade epicentre; think of Karachi as Auckland is to New Zealand. I found it sitting on the dressing table at the home of a beloved aunty I was visiting. I immediately asked if I could borrow it, and as I hadn’t finished reading it by the end of my trip, I brought it back with me to New Zealand.
At the time, I was a fresh Otago medical graduate, and I read the book on my train journeys home after long hours spent working as a junior doctor at Middlemore Hospital (New Zealand's busiest hospital). I really enjoyed the book, and as I read, I developed a genuine respect for Imran Khan’s ideals, way of thinking, grit and tenacity. The book intertwines Imran Khan’s life with Pakistan's tumultuous history, while also shedding light on the deep-rooted corruption in Pakistani politics. You are taken on a journey through Imran Khan’s life — his childhood, schooling, personal life, his illustrious cricketing career, his philanthropic work to build Pakistan's largest cancer hospital and eventually his entry into politics. Whilst you read this autobiography, you are simultaneously taken through the history of Pakistan. Pakistan as a 'nation' is a relatively young and recent one, so there's a lot that has happened in the last 70 years. The best part was reading about Imran Khan's journey back to Islam and how he developed a real love for our religion.
Let's talk about Pakistan. What makes Pakistan unique? Remember, the concept of a “nation” or “country” is relatively recent; some would call it a post-colonial idea that has stuck around. Before European colonisation of the world, there was no such thing as a 'country' or 'nation'. There were simply large areas of land, such as the Indian subcontinent (now divided into multiple nations). As the colonialists left the places they colonised, they (deliberately) broke each large swathe of land into little pieces. This ensured they could rule their colonies via proxy leaders and that the large swathe of land could never be truly united again. 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. In other words, it was a country created for Indian Muslims to preserve their Islamic identity. There is no other country in the world that was created for a similar reason: to preserve Islam.
Of course, the partition of the Indian subcontinent into separate nations was far from perfect — more than 200 million Muslims still live in India today. However, Pakistan did give Indian Muslims a new identity; it also gave them a way to practise their deen freely and gave them autonomy away from British colonisation and rule.
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 extremely wealthy in the process. One of these parties is notorious for stealing money from the national zakat fund and using this money for their own personal projects. The Pakistani military is no less corrupt. It is arguably the most powerful institution in Pakistan (even more powerful than the two dynastic political parties) and controls a lot of what happens in parliament. The military is also responsible for corruption, bribery and military rulers being immensely and disproportionately wealthy when compared to the average Pakistani person. Disparity between the rich and poor in Pakistan is stark and mind-boggling.
Let's return to Imran Khan's book. One example from the book particularly stayed with me. Imran Khan recounts how, when Nawaz Sharif was in power (the Sharif family is one of the two dynastic political parties), an overseas philanthropist agreed to donate several expensive pieces of medical equipment to Imran's 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 well-being 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 thing many people admired about Imran Khan was that, as Prime Minister, 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.
All the while, he was fluent in English, an excellent orator, and often quoted events from the Seerah or the words of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as examples of the best leadership. One can only imagine how daunting it must have been for those opposed to him to see a Muslim leader who was articulate, understood Western culture, and yet stood up for Islam without hesitation. Imran Khan was strong-minded, outspoken and unwilling to 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. 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. The sadness he must feel, knowing how much of his life and effort he poured into Tehreek-e-Insaf, only to watch opposing forces work to undermine the vision he devoted so much of his life to, must be immense. To see years of sacrifice, struggle and hope being dismantled while 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.