Today (11 May 2023), during the concluding session of my MBA class on ‘Business Ethics and Islam’ (BEI) at LUMS, I posed a sensitive question to my students: “Was it ethical for the former PM Imran Khan to accept financial and land donation by Malik Riaz Hussain of Bahria Town for the Al Qadir University trust? Furnish your answer (starting with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and justifying your answer) in light of the following ethical frameworks: Islamic, utilitarian, and deontological.”
The question was presented to a class of 54 students, of which 80-90% were supporters of Imran Khan.
I did not express my personal views on the topic, allowing the students to use the information they already possessed on the subject and research further if necessary. The students were given 15 minutes to submit their responses through a digital platform.
To my surprise, nearly 90% of the students expressed the opinion that Imran Khan acted unethically in accepting a donation from Malik Riaz Hussain for the Al Qadir University trust. The students provided a variety of arguments, including conflict of interest, personal gain by Imran Khan, his wife, and friends at the expense of the national exchequer, violation of the oath of a public servant to not use their position for personal gain, and ethical violations under the deontological framework.
Students in general expressed concern about the potential conflicts of interest, corruption, and the erosion of public trust that could result from such actions. They emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and adherence to moral principles, particularly for public figures and institutions that aim to sustain ethical norms.
The exercise demonstrated the students’ ability to objectively analyze a real-life ethical dilemma and liberate themselves from personal or political biases, as well as the utility of the BEI course in equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools to do so. For me, as an instructor, this was a reassuring and pleasing experience.
(Jawad Syed)
South Asian Academy of Management 