Pakistan at 73

Today, Pakistan turns 73, and the whole nation is celebrating the Independence Day with traditional patriotic zeal in an expression of national cohesion, brotherhood, and love for the country. The festivities continue across the country with full enthusiasm even as the Covid-19 re-emergence threat persists. The Day is also a befitting occasion to express solidarity with the people of IIOJK — the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir — who continue to fight for freedom from the yoke Indian occupation, with a renewed spirit of Jihad in the wake of abrogation of the constitutional provisions that guaranteed special autonomous status to the disputed region.

The Day this year comes at a time when the State of Pakistan is confronted with multifaceted challenges. The country continues to face a serious test in the realm of external security given its troubled relations with the archrival India and the fallout of the internal strife in Afghanistan. The internal security situation — though pretty much under control, courtesy a large number of military operations against terrorists elements — is being challenged once again with sporadic terrorist attacks, on security forces in particular, in the areas bordering Afghanistan. Diplomatic realignment in the region in recent times also serves our diplomats with a real test of their skills.

As regards the government affairs, the situation in nothing much to write home about. Political instability is a persistent problem; governance remains a disaster; social services needs continue to go unmet; democratic dispensation is a big question mark; the economy is a mounting challenge; and the writ of the executive is virtually non-existent. Social indictors don’t portray a pleasant picture either. Challenges like rising population, economic disparities, rising poverty, increasing number of out-of-school children, life-threatening malnutrition, falling reproductive health, unsafe drinking water are rather growing. On ideological front too, we seem to have been searching for pathways through the maze.

The 14^th August is not just about celebration; it’s not just about decorating our houses with flaglets and buntings and illuminating our national monuments in our national colour; it’s not just about hoisting the green flag on our rooftops or donning green colour. The 14^th August is the time for the whole nation to take stock of its performance. It’s time for each individual to assess their own contribution to the nation-building. It’s time for our children, our future assets, to pledge to work on their character and career building and help the country progress. It’s time for our youth to make practical commitment to serve the country in whatever capacity they can. It’s time for the renewal of our pledge to actually prove: Hum zinda qaum hain, paindi qaum hain; hum sab ki he pehchaan, ham sab ka Pakistan.

At 73, Pakistan is old enough to have learnt its lessons. Its leaders are grown-up enough not to repeat the mistakes committed by their predecessors, to avoid wrangling for petty political gains, work for political harmony, gel together in the spirit of national unity, and lead the nation in the right direction. The nation is matured enough to now finally settle down in one direction in terms of a political ideology that must only mean building the nation, lifting its morale and restoring its pride in the world over.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2020.

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