Islamabad, July 12, 2023 (PPI-OT): Center for policy studies, COMSATS University Islamabad on 6 June 2023 organized a seminar on “Constitutional Provisions for socio-economic Justice and our Policies”. Senator Razza Rabbani was the guest speaker of the program. Faculty, staff and students rushed in droves to the venue to listen to the talk and stance of the former Chairman Senate on socio-economic and political crises of Pakistan. Dr. Kalsoom Sumra of CPS conducted the Seminar. The session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. For introductory remarks and to welcome the honourable guest, Head, Center for Policy Studies, Dr. Ghulam Shabbir delivered a brief but comprehensive speech on the significance of the subject and put light on the impressive political career of the esteemed guest and his role in the formulation of 18th amendment along with history of his services for Pakistan.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Ghulam Shabbir said that for the understanding of the letter and spirit of the 1973’s constitution of Pakistan the comprehension of the genius of its main architect Z.A Bhutto and his Sitz em Libon is essential. Bhutto’s source of inspiration were two great men of modern era Napoleon the Great and Karl Marx the first genuinely characterized as the father of modern world and second the father of present generation of mankind the world over for his interpretation of history has stayed man as an economic unit, a clear departure from Aristotle’s definition of man as a social animal or religious definition of man as a moral being. Bhutto to his own words learnt politics of power from Napoleon and politics of the poor from Karl Marx.

Bhutto’s Peoples Party won first General Elections on the slogan of Islamic Socialism and termed his victory “the great victory of Islam”. Though he failed to incorporate the term “Islamic Socialism” perhaps under the pressure of orthodox conservative elite yet he succeeded not only to plant the seed of “social egalitarianism” in 73’s constitution but also equipped it with sound methodology to achieve and fulfill the objective of social egalitarian order in Pakistan. The penultimate clause of Preamble puts that the people of Pakistan have resolved “to protect our national and political solidarity by creating an egalitarian society through a new order.”

Here, should have been a phrase “based on Islamic socialism” and omission hits the eyes. However, whereas Article 3 ensures elimination of all forms of exploitation and emphasizes socialist principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his work, Article 38 (a) is a giant leap forward towards the achievement of egalitarian human order in Pakistan. It puts State shall raise the standard of living of all people by preventing the concentration of wealth and means of production and distribution in the hands of a few…and by ensuring equitable adjustment of rights between employers and employees landlords and tenants.

The fulfillment of this task is ensured in Article 18 (c) “nothing shall prevent “the carrying on, by the federal government or a provincial government, or by a corporation controlled by any such government, of any trade, business or service, to the exclusion, complete or partial, of other persons. Article 253 (b) authorize the parliament for such nationalization. Dr. Shabbir said that article 18 (c) presents the principle of interference in private property if social welfare and security so demands.

Senator Raza Rabbani said that Dr Shabbir accurately presented the vision of the architects of the 73’s constitution however when the said clauses of socio-economic justice and fair-play were being incorporated in the constitution ‘state’ was weak and could not deter the framers from their obligations. But with the passage of time state got stronger and people of Pakistan i.e., public representatives turned weak. Now, the powers that be call the shots in state affairs. Senator Rabbani gave a bird eye view of the Pakistan movement and its constitutional history. He very sadly expressed his concerns over the fate of Pakistan which is pretty different from what Iqbal dreamt, and vision of its Architect quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He said, we turned from a socialist welfare state to a purely security state.

After Rabbani’s speech a Q/A session was held, faculty, staff and students asked questions in a very candid style and the honourable guest responded all questions with a very frank, honest and decent way. Head CPS concluded the seminar with closing remarks and presented a souvenir to the esteemed guest.

Revelation had been interacting with history through the minds of the prophets. Hence, socio-economic milieu of each epoch had been of utmost importance since revelation addressed socio-economic and political issues in face of concrete social imaginaries i.e. combining the metaphysical with social fact. Moses was tasked to liberate Israelis from the bondage of Pharaoh and God spoke in aggressive and rather severe tone to discipline the community that was destined to inherit the land from Pharaoh. However quite soft was the revelation when Jesus assumed the stage of history. Still, a happy blend of Moses and Jesus along with some crucial eternal moral principles came to fore when Islam took the reins. Today, the most important question for us is how revelation in modern parlance or Sitz em Libon interacts with history and what sublime solutions it flings to our side.

If 73’s constitution is implemented in letter and spirit our socio-economic and political crisis are bound to vanish into the thin air for whereas it envisions an egalitarian human order as an ultimate destiny of Pakistan which in fact is the be-all-and-an-end-all of Islam, it offers practical step of the principle of interference in private wealth. Severe problems need severe solutions. The clauses, through which Bhutto nationalized industries with half-hearted, abortive and failed attempts, are intact and present themselves to redeem the socio-economic and political balance and equilibrium but who dare bell the cat.

For more information, contact:

COMSATS University Islamabad

Park Road, Tarlai Kalan, Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-9247000,

Website: http://ww2.comsats.edu.pk