A buffalo gave birth to a calf, but by the will of Allah, the calf died. The owner of the buffalo did something quite unusual: he skinned the dead calf, fed the meat to the animals, and then stuffed the skin with straw, sewing it up to make it look like a real calf. He even inserted sticks into the four legs and sewed them as well. To an observer, it appeared to be a real calf—the outer skin was genuine, but inside, it was filled with straw. The buffalo mistook this fake calf for her real one. Before milking, the owner would place this fake calf a short distance in front of the buffalo, and she would be tricked into letting down her milk. After milking, the owner would hide the fake calf. In Punjabi, this is called a “Mura,” meaning something dead inside. Figuratively, a person who is incompetent is also referred to as a “Mura.”

As for “Jhawan,” it refers to a scrub made from a vegetable called sponge gourd. When the gourd ripens and becomes large, its outer shell can be peeled off, leaving behind a fibrous structure, which is held together by a natural bond, resembling a stitched object. This fibrous material, empty of seeds and pulp, is called “Jhawan” in Punjabi. When used with soap, it effectively cleans dirt from the body. Nowadays, synthetic Jhawan made of nylon are also available in the market.

While political and religious party leaders worldwide often use such Muras and Jhawans, Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh significantly increased their numbers. Qualified people, holding degrees in their hands, were humiliated and insulted while these Muras and Jhawans were recruited into government jobs under a quota of more than fifty percent. These same Muras and Jhawans also dominated the leadership positions in the ruling party. Twice, there were uprisings against them, but the protests were crushed through killings and brutality. Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed the secessionist movement in 1971, was branded as traitorous by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his rule. His daughter, Sheikh Hasina, went even further, executing people labeled as “Razakars”—those who had opposed the secession. However, during protests, the people of Bangladesh raised slogans, “We are all Razakars,” and waved the Pakistani flag. Statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which were erected all over Bangladesh, were destroyed, and Sheikh Hasina fled to India. The students did not stop their movement after her escape; instead, they gave an ultimatum to dissolve the Mura and Jhawan-type parliament. Consequently, the parliament was dissolved, and they also rejected the nomination of any Mura or Jhawan-type Prime Minister. They proposed the name of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate who had gained worldwide recognition and respect for his outstanding contributions to alleviating poverty in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina’s Mura and Jhawan political culture had forced Dr. Yunus to leave the country, but he has now been nominated as the interim head of state.

Looking at our beloved homeland, Pakistan, it is clear that the number of Muras and Jhawans here is countless. For instance, the province of Punjab, which has almost half of the country’s population, had a Chief Minister who was only a high school graduate and would personally visit the police station to get his accused released. Another young man was made Chief Minister solely because he belonged to a ruling family. One person was suddenly appointed as Punjab’s Chief Minister who didn’t even know that the European Union was not a country; he was asking where this “European Union” country was located. In short, such nameless and incompetent people have been our rulers and continue to be so. It should be noted that the greatest corruption, betrayal, and dishonesty are appointing the incompetent to positions of responsibility in the presence of qualified individuals. These people engage in billions of rupees worth of corruption and cause losses worth trillions through their incompetent governance decisions. They cost society dearly. The only way to avoid this costly corruption is to hold intra-party elections, supervised by an independent and autonomous Election Commission. The tragedy of Pakistan’s political and religious-political parties is that the elections held are merely a show, where leaders are elected unopposed, and the head of the party remains in power for life. The key responsibilities are entrusted to relatives and friends, most of whom are Muras and Jhawans.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which still stands tall after eight decades of its founding, has elected Hafiz Naeemur Rehman as its new Ameer. He was chosen by the members based on performance and sincerity. This election is now creating cracks in the IPP system. The people behind these cracks are fearful but holding their ground. Patriots like me, and those who care for the country, hope and wish that our Mura and Jhawan system changes in such a way that August 2024 allows our beloved nation to soar high.

Most people know Syed Maududi as a religious scholar. Some consider him one of the reformers of the nineteenth century. I say that his greatest reform was the peaceful transfer of power, which he implemented in his own life based on the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, the practices of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the current democratic system. He was so sincere and selfless in this endeavor that he began with himself during his lifetime. He was elected as Ameer by the votes of the members of Jamaat for five years. When he realized that the members would continue to elect him, his far-sighted political vision decided that he would no longer serve as Ameer but would instead live as a common member. Consequently, during his lifetime, Mian Tufail Muhammad was elected as the Ameer of Jamaat. Syed Maududi showed that he was their follower. The result of this practice is that today Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, standing in Islamabad, has turned Jamaat into a public fortress. Neither Syed Maududi’s relatives nor his sons appeared in the leadership positions of Jamaat during his life or after his death. All the Ameer who came after him were members, but they were never seen as a privileged class. The countries that have developed in the world have done so through a transparent democratic system, making the path of merit a carpeted road. Quaid-e-Azam also instructed to follow such a path. Liaquat Ali Khan was also a follower of this path. There is no room for wills in parties on this path. Wills apply to personal wealth, and that too within certain limits; the people and the workers are the heirs of the country and the party. Their future decisions are not made by wills but by consultation and merit-based Shura (council). This is the message of Independence Day 2024. If ignored, the Mura and Jhawan culture will hinder the nation’s progress. If the Jhawan remains as the authoritarian presence on the scene, the dream of a great Pakistan will remain unfulfilled.