According to media reports, the drafting of the proposed government reforms is in its final stages, containing provisions relating to the creation of more administrative units within Pakistan, expansion of the powers and scope of the federation, a presidential system of government, and strengthening the local government system. However, no matter how attractively this amendment is presented in the media as a measure for securing the rights of the people, the reality is that it is nothing more than the ongoing struggle between politicians and the military elite for power, authority, resources, and influence, which has continued for the past nearly eight decades. In this struggle, the people are being sold false dreams of a better future, even though neither of these two groups has any interest in public welfare, prosperity, or well-being. Instead, they seek to gain control over centres of power and resources.

The people of Pakistan have continuously witnessed this spectacle of the struggle for power during various military or military-controlled hybrid periods and civilian periods. During military or military-controlled hybrid periods, the state media, paid intellectuals, and naive followers attempt to sell the people the narrative that a presidential system, strengthening of the local government system, and Western-educated technocrats instead of corrupt democratic political parties can provide better governance and facilities to the people through better “performance.” Through this narrative, the military leadership gains decisive control over all affairs. However, the people of Pakistan have repeatedly witnessed in practice that through the implementation of the Western capitalist system, the military class, and a small privileged class connected to it, have become richer and richer, while the people have been forced to live below the poverty line, and through the “hard state” they are also prevented from raising their voices for their rights, so that they cannot create any obstacle in the “progress” of a small elite class.

Furthermore, we have already seen the presidential model in Pakistan as well as in other Muslim countries such as Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Maldives, and Mauritania. Thus, this Western system is not a new system for Muslims. In contrast, during civilian periods, the return to the parliamentary model, weak local governments, and, in recent periods, powerful provincial governments have been a practical formula for civilian control over power. The reality of this model is also not hidden from the people, where corrupt political parties have divided the provinces among themselves, and distributed the national treasury among themselves.

However, one matter is common in both models, and that is subservience to colonialism and governance through Western ideologies of disbelief. Thus, under both democratic forms of government, the IMF has maintained its dominance over Pakistan's economy, to the extent that today 43 percent, almost half, of Pakistan’s budget, is being spent on the payment of interest (riba) to loan creditors, while the people’s hard-earned money is taken away and paid to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in capacity payments.

Under both types of models, the laws of disbelief of the English common law have continued to be enforced in Pakistan’s courts, as a result of which millions of cases remain pending in the courts. The same situation exists in other sectors of the system as well, over which colonialism has complete control, and to which neither the civilian nor military elite has any objection. Thus, the real struggle is over who will serve colonialism, while the people are nowhere to be found in this entire equation!

Allah (swt) has already determined this complex matter of governance, including the determination of the rights of the ruler and the ruled, the state structure, the distribution of power, representation, accountability, the qualifications of the ruler, the duration of the ruler’s rule, the procedure for removing rulers, and related matters. Islam governs through a unitary structure, rejecting the federal structure. The Ummah selects a Khalifah (Caliph) and gives him the bay'ah on the condition that he implements the Shariah.

It is the authority of the Khalifah to determine how he divides this single state into administrative units and appoints Walis (governors) over them. However, upon a complaint by the Council of the Ummah or a Council of the Wilayah, it is obligatory upon the Khalifah to remove the Wali. The Khalifah directly appoints an Aamil over cities, or, if he wishes, delegates this authority to his Walis. In the Khilafah, the resources of all regions are shared and are not the property of any particular province. They are spent collectively on the Ummah, so that all regions of the state of Khilafah benefit from equal development. Uniform laws apply throughout all parts of the Khilafah. However, administrative affairs are conducted through a policy of decentralisation in consideration of better performance and local needs. These are merely a few laws relating to the state structure prescribed by Allah (swt) which give rise to powerful, strong, highly efficient, stable, and robust governance. Hizb ut Tahrir has presented before the Ummah a complete constitution of the Khilafah state consisting of 191 articles, derived from the Noble Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, with detailed Shariah evidences presented for every article. So why should we continue to wander aimlessly among the different models of disbelief within democracy?!

O People of Military Power and Protection in Pakistan!

The real problem of Pakistan is the strong grip of colonialism over our affairs and the fact that all our matters are not being decided according to Islamic Shariah, which amounts to a betrayal of our Kalimah of truth, لا إله إلا الله، محمد رسول الله ﷺ. La illaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasool Allah. However, the civilian and military elite have no concern for this. Instead, their only concern is their own power, for the continuation of which they are working day and night. The time has come for you, instead of remaining silent spectators, to fulfil your responsibility and seize power from these corrupt elites and hand it over to its rightful claimant, Hizb ut Tahrir, which is equipped with complete preparations for the establishment of the Second Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate) and stands before you with a complete plan. Therefore, step forward and play your role in fulfilling this obligation.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, «ومن مات وليس في عنقه بيعة مات ميتة جاهلية» “Whoever dies while there is no bay'ah of a Khalifah around his neck dies the death of Jahiliyyah.” (Sahih Muslim)