Pak-Iran Gas and Gawadar Port Projects

                

Pakistan and Iran have finally inaugurated Gas Pipeline Project. Pakistan has also entrusted management of Gawadar Port to China. If completed successfully, these two projects would be more than fateful not only for Pakistan but also for the whole Central Asia in future. Apart from economic and commercial gains likely to be accrued from, these projects may lead to formatting the whole regional political scenario into much more integrated block consisting Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Turkey and Central Asia. 

China’s oil demand is continuously increasing and by the end of 2012 Chinese oil imports have exceeded that of USA’s whose oil imports are declining due to recession and due to greater home oil production. In 2013, China’s oil imports would reach 60% of its total demand; this import rate would further grow in coming years due to further depletion in China’s home resources. Presently China’s more than 50% crude oil imports are coming from the Middle East. Gawadar is the shortest possible route from Gulf Straits to China. That is why China while managing this port would be interested to link it by road or railways to China. Consequently Pakistan would become a vanguard to Chinese imports from the gulf. It would create interdependence between the two economies. 

Similarly China is destined to overtake soon Russia and USA as a dominating foreign power in Central Asia politically as well as economically; China is investing a lot in Central Asian economies. This policy is leading China and Central Asia to mutual dependence. Pakistan also may connect Gawadar Port to Central Asian states  through road or railways links through Afghanistan so that Central Asian states may utilize Gawadar Port.

Thus Gawadar Port Project may link closely economies of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Central Asia; this economic interdependence would lead to regional/Central Asian political cooperation as well. Similarly Pak-Iran Gas Project would link closely both states economically and politically, and such economic and political collaboration would strengthen further the regional economic and political collaboration forged out of Gawadar Port Project.

This likely regional/Central Asian economic and political collaboration emerging out of these two projects has far reaching implications.

One implication is this regional cooperation would enable Pakistan to come out of USA’s clutches economically and politically. Once Pakistan gets out of USA’s influence and adopts independent foreign policy, Pakistan may amass lot of political and economic support using its geographical and nuclear status in the comity of world nations.

Another implication is because Middle East is becoming the greatest source of crude oil for China, this fact is compelling China to assume greater role in the Middle East. Pakistan may play its role to extend the likely regional cooperation to bring in its fold the Middle East as well.

Another implication is that Pakistan would be in stronger position to resolve its issues including Kashmir with India. India, due to Pakistan’s geography, would not be able to become a part of this likely regional economic cooperation without Pakistan’s consent, thus giving Pakistan a leverage in connection with resolution of mutual issues.

We may conclude that Gawadar Port and Pak-Iran Gas Projects are vital for Pakistan to gain enormous economic and political benefits out of its geography. Combining its nuclear status along with its geographical status, Pakistan may gain even more economic and political leverage and emerge as a potent regional force. Pakistan should not allow any short sighted political or economic expediency to ruin these projects; Pakistan’s future lies with successful completion of these projects.

  

Fundamental Principles of Positive Social Systems

                

We have already seen in my article ' Social Laws-existence in pairs' that social laws are as much natural laws as physical laws are. Natural laws are those which are developed by Allah. Usually only physical laws are considered as natural laws; but in Quranic view, social laws are also natural laws which are developed by Allah but, of course, on the basis of human actions. Allah has given, in Quran and sunnah, certain apparent principles of social laws; if mankind adopt these principles, Allah generates positive social consequences/systems; if mankind does not adopt these principles, Allah unleashes negative social consequences/systems. In other words, both positive and negative social systems are developed by Allah but, of course, on the basis of human actions; social laws enforced upon mankind are natural laws. This fact has been hinted at in the following verses.

Quran says:

“By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy” (al-asr).

These verses say mankind is in loss, except those who have faith and righteous deeds……. . The question arises why Allah has mentioned this fact through 'By time'/testimony of time. It may be appreciated that when we refer to certain time, age, period, we do not refer to physical laws prevailing in that time, age, or period; in fact, we refer to social conditions prevailing in that time, age or period.  We understand that physical laws are fixed which do not change with the passage of time but social conditions keep on changing with the passage of time; so when we refer to certain time, we actually refer to social conditions prevailing in that time. In the above verses too, time has been mentioned to refer to social conditions prevailing in time. Allah says social conditions prevailing in any time, period, age, testify the fact that mankind is in loss, if i. they do not have faith, ii. do not do righteous deeds and iii. do not join together in mutual teaching of Truth and iv. do not join together in mutual teaching  of Patience.  In other words, whenever mankind deviates from these four conditions/principles, their social conditions/systems/institutions become negative and harmful in proportion to their deviation from these four principles. Each and every social system/institution has to be based on these four fundamental principles; the more a social system/institution is in line with these principles, the greater it prevails as positive system/institution; the more a social system/institution deviates from these principles, the greater it is rated as negative system/institution. In other words, social conditions/systems prevailing in human societies are generated by Allah Who develops social systems on the basis of actions of concerned human society; it means social systems are also natural systems like physical systems.

From above quoted verses, it becomes clear that in order to avail positive/beneficial social laws/systems, it is not enough only to be faithful and righteous in our deeds; we are also required to establish such institutions through which we could join together in mutual teaching of Truth (means encouraging right deeds), and mutual teaching of Patience (means encouraging right people). We have already seen in the article  ‘Institutionalization of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar’, that duty of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar’ is to be performed at three levels i.e. individual, group and state institutions (According to Quran, this duty is to be essentially performed, if Muslims want to be superior to non-Muslims). It may be appreciated that mutual teaching of Truth and Patience is to be performed by every individual but 'amar bil maroof wa nahi anel munkar' is to be performed by individuals having some influence/authority. The duty under 'amr bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar'  may not be essentially included in the duty of ‘joining in mutual teaching of Truth and mutual teaching of Patience’ which is to be performed by every individual with and/or without using legal authority; but, of course, 'amr bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar' is essentially to be included in righteous deeds (i.e. principle No.ii) if Muslims want to be better than non-Muslims.

In the article 'Secret of Rise and Fall of Muslim Millat', we have seen that Muslims avail state of 'Rise' when their  social systems are in consonance with the  revealed knowledge, and experience state of 'downfall' when their social systems are repugnant to the revealed knowledge. In the same way, non-Muslims avail state of 'Rise' when their social systems are in consonance with the revealed knowledge, and experience state of 'downfall', when their social systems are repugnant to the revealed knowledge. It may be noted rise and fall of Muslim Millat is always in relation to rise and fall of non-Muslims combined.  Rise and Fall of Muslim Millat is a relative term; WHENEVER Muslim Millat would be experiencing their 'Rise', non-Muslims nations combined would be experiencing their 'downfall' and vice versa. In other words, if Muslim Millat want to dominate the non-Muslims, they have to fulfill those four conditions/principles more than the non-Muslims do. The Muslim Millat meets the first condition/principle (i.e. to be faithful) more than the non-Muslims; but they are lagging behind the non-Muslims in respect of other three conditions/principles.  However Muslim Millat's rise (not domination) viz a viz non-Muslims would start when Muslims start adopting more of these four principles OR non-Muslims start deviating more of these principles. Ultimately when Muslim Millat would adopt these principles more than the non-Muslims, the Muslim Millat would dominate the non-Muslims. ( plz also see my article ' Secret of Rise and Fall of Muslim Millat').

We may conclude that social systems are as much natural systems as physical systems are. Social systems, both in their positive and negative forms, are enforced by Allah, on the basis of human actions. In order to avail positive social systems, human society is required i. to be faithful, ii. to do righteous deeds (including 'amar bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar'), iii. joining in mutual teaching of Truth and iv. joining in mutual teaching of Patience. Each and every social system has to be based on these four principles. The more a social system is based on these four principles, the greater it reflects as a positive system; the more a social system deviates from these four principles, the greater it is rated as negative system. The more a society fulfills these four conditions/principles, the more they avail positive social systems generated by Allah; the more a society deviates from these four principles, the greater they face harmful/negative social systems generated by Allah. The Muslim Millat's domination would start, when Muslim Millat fulfills these four conditions/principles more than the non-Muslim nations do.