WE always knew that Imran Khan had or pretended to have right-wing leanings. This image got a bit muggy after the October 30 meeting in Lahore. The youth of the country had finally found a voice with which they could resonate and march towards a liberal and modern Pakistan. Fortunately, this was not an isolated incident and this wave of modernity and hope of a better tomorrow carried on with very successful meetings in Karachi and Quetta.After the meeting in Lahore, several politicians who have been tried and tested joined Imran Khan`s party. Every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted to have a bite at the pie. Unfortunately, this has undoubtedly made Imran Khan look vulnerable.

My guess is that the PTI will be lucky to get a few seats the way it is going as it is trying its best to alienate the same youth who were ready to dieforits cause.

The latest statement from ImranKhan is: `we want to create an Islamic welfare state.` I thought for a moment that this must have been said by Jamaat-i Islami or Maulana Fazlur Rahman.

Does an Islamic welfare state exist anywhere in the world? There are several models of European welfare states, but not a single Islamic welfare state in over 50 Islamic countries.

A welfare state is one in which the citizens have rights: the right to life, liberty, freedom, speech,religion, equal opportunities, free education, free healthcare, water, power, shelter, employment, etc.

The closest model of an Islamic welfare state was the one run by the Taliban and it was a nightmare for all. Saudi Arabia is no less horrendous. I hope Imran Khan is not hoping to revive such a model.

When he makes a statement he must explain what he really means by that. The PTI must clarify these things.

SALMAN MUNIR Karachi

This is apropos of Salman Muneer’s letter ‘Imran Khan on Islamic Welfare State’ (4th July 2012 ). The writer could not have presented gloomy picture of the term ‘Islamic Welfare State’ more than he did while misinterpreting the term.

Imran Khan is the hope of Pakistani youth not just because they demand a liberal and modern Pakistan but a state that would provide them Justice, humanity, peace and freedom likewise seen in Arab Spring where modern and liberal Egyptian youth elected Muhammad Morsi Isa Al-Ayaat , a leader of right-wing party Muslim Brotherhood.

It is very unfortunate that the writer interpret the term ‘Islamic Welfare State’ as an antonym of ‘the right to life, liberty, freedom, speech, religion, equal opportunities…’ and went so far to the extent that the ‘closest’ model he could imagine was the one run by Taliban or Saudi Arabia but could not remind himself of the first Islamic Welfare State established by the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.S) that had demonstrated finest forms of equality, peace, justice, liberty and freedom.

The non-existence of an ideal Islamic Welfare State in over 50 Islamic countries shall not lead to the conclusion that such a model is obsolete one and impracticable; Imran Khan has not forgotten the refutation by the Expert Doctors Panel that a model like ‘Shaukat Khanum’ could exist in a country like Pakistan.

We have heartiest hope in Imran Khan that he will make Pakistan a country where there will be millions of job opportunities, flourishing economy, gender equality, liberal but sober freedom, intra-faith and religious harmony, minority-rights protection and even animal rights, for if a dog dies of starvation the authorities would be held responsible, such is a concept of Imran Khan’s ‘Islamic Welfare State’.

It seems that the writer is a secular person and hence, he has some issues with the religion "Islam". On the contrary, if he was true Muslim, he would have read the History of Muslim Welfare State at the time of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and he would have not opposed the idea of "Muslim Welfare State".

Such kind of opinions are given by seculars and Non-Muslims only. I do not know that why Dawn Newspaper has started propaganda against Islam. Friday articles of Dawn Newspaper are also mostly written by Seculars. One of them is Engineer Asghar Ali who is the head of 'Centre for Study of Society and Secularism of India".