بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah Pakistan has issued the
following Publicized Policy Position (PPP) over the severe electricity crisis
in the country which has crippled industry and agriculture as well as making
the daily lives of the people a misery.
A. PREAMBLE:
Electricity is unaffordable and unavailable because of capitalism's
privatization concept, as safeguarded by democracy
Through democracy's implementation of capitalism, the government is
responsible for Pakistan's electricity crisis. The present capitalist system
ensures that through privatization a few private owners, foreign and local,
fully benefit from electricity resources whilst the public faces hardship.
Privatization raises electricity prices so that the private owners can profit
in their business. As an example the World Bank has closely overseen rises in
electricity charges, which surged between 2000 & 2004 and continue to rise
such that people are paying as much for electricity in the winter as they used
to in the peak of summer before massive privatization took hold. So, whilst private owners amass huge wealth by
owning electricity resources, the rest of society is stricken by increasingly
un-affordable energy prices. In addition, regarding the electricity shortages,
the government itself fell into debt to these private interests to the order of
billions of Rupees. Then the private interests reduced production of
electricity because they were not paid what they were due and were not able to
maintain profits. This “circular debt crisis” is the reason that only 10,000 MW
or less electricity is being produced. This is even though the total installed
capacity is 19,855 MW, dropping to 15,150MW at times of low river flow. This is
against a demand that varies between 11,500 MW in the cooler months up to
17,500 MW, during the peak of the hot summer. So it is clear twelve to eighteen
hours without electricity per day in the summer and six hours in the winter, is
the result of not producing at capacity. All this is the result of making
electricity a business and not a right for the people.
B. POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS: Capitalism's control of electricity only benefits the
colonialists and the current rulers and deprives the Ummah
B1. Of
Pakistan's electricity, Pakistan produces 65% from thermal generation, by the
burning of oil and gas, 33% from hydro-electrical generation (Hydel), using
water pressure such as in dams, and 2% by nuclear power. Installed capacity is
more than enough to meet the current demands throughout the year.
B2. Regarding thermal generation, the Ummah possesses
over half of the world's proven oil reserves and over forty per cent of the
world's proven gas reserves. Pakistan has one of the world's largest coal
reserves, in Thar.
B3.
Regarding developing other forms of electricity generation to meet future short
falls, such as solar, tidal and wind generation, the Islamic Ummah possess
brilliant sons and daughters who are more than capable to deliver results.
B4.
However, by privatizing these abundant resources foreign colonialist companies
benefit as well as local companies which are from the entourage of the rulers
or the rulers themselves.
B5. The
current rulers and their colonialist masters benefit from the people being
immersed in seas of economic miseries as it dampens their ability to rise up
and depose the current corrupt order. This is the meaning of what Donald
Rumsfeld, former US Defence Secretary, termed “creative chaos.”
C. LEGAL
INJUCTIONS: Securing the benefit of energy and fuel for the people
C1. Islam
will end the capitalist economy and establish an Islamic one. As a system Islam
ensure the distribution of wealth and one of its mechanisms is the public
ownership of electricity resources as well as coal, oil and gas. As such these
resources are neither owned by the state nor individuals. Instead, the state
administers this resource to ensure that its benefit is used for all the
citizens, regardless of race, color, school of thought and religion.
As Hizb ut-Tahrir has declared in
its Introduction
to the Constitution, “Islam assigns energy resources as public property. Neither the state nor
individuals can usurp its benefit for themselves. Instead Islam ensures that
the entire public benefits from the wealth... So, the Khilafah will ensure that the public benefit from energy
resources, providing cheap energy to fuel agriculture and industry and
affordable domestic rates.”
C2. The Khilafah will abolish taxes upon power
and fuel which have further greatly inflated their prices. It will charge only
to cover their production and distribution costs, if needed, and any profit
from sales to non-hostile non-Muslim states will be put to use for taking care
of the public's needs.
As Hizb ut-Tahrir has declared in its Introduction to the Constitution, “Under the capitalist
system, citizens face a great burden of taxation. Income tax eats into the
people’s salaries, general sales tax makes buying essential food and medicine a
burden whilst taxation on fuel and energy chokes industrial and agricultural
production. Instead, Islam has its own unique system of revenue collection,
including revenue from public properties, such as gas, and agricultural
production, such as kharaj, and industrial manufacture through Zakah on goods.
So, the Khilafah will be able to generate large revenues whilst encouraging
vigorous economic activity.”
C3. Islam's electricity policy will contribute
to a massive industrialization of Pakistan, supervised by the Khilafah.
As Hizb ut-Tahrir has declared in its Introduction to the Constitution, “Firstly, factories
that are related to the assets of the public property such as the gas
extraction and refinery plants. Since the assets of the public property are a
property for all Muslims, so are the factories that are involved in their
extraction and refinery. The State establishes them on behalf of the Muslims.
Secondly, factories related to heavy industry and weapons manufacture.
Individuals may own such factories, but since such industries require huge
funds the Khilafah State will provide them. A powerful military is only
possible in the presence of a heavy industry, capable of engine and machinery
manufacture.”
Note: For the
relevant articles in Hizb ut-Tahrir’s Introduction to the Constitution, that
has been prepared for immediate implementation in the Khilafah please refer to
the following articles for the complete evidences from Quran and Sunnah: 137, 138,
139 and 140
D. POLICY:
Fuelling the rise of the world's leading state, the Khilafah
D1. The
return of gas, oil, coal and electricity to public ownership will result in
affordable and available electricity.
D2. The
abundance of power is essential to the development of a strong industrial base,
a necessity for any state aspiring to lead the world
D3. Islam's
unique concepts over power and energy will be a shining example to a world
exploited and deprived by capitalism.
Hizb
ut-Tahrir 12
Rabiul Awwal, 1434AH
Wilayah Pakistan 24
January, 2013 CE
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