Long Live Independence!

The nation is entering its 78th year of Independence with the zeal and enthusiasm to leave no stone unturned to build it into a welfare republic. Though the chips are down for it at the home front and internationally, it is determined to overcome the odds. This day reminds the nation that the dreams of the Founding Fathers are yet to be realised, and despite going from strength to strength there is a lot that needs to be done. The pride, nonetheless, is that we have sailed through in thick and thin, and have never lost the path of unison, harmony and co-existence, and have evolved a polity that is forward looking and pluralistic, and resilient to the core.

August 14 is not just a national day that should be commemorated with jubilation. The day should draw our introspection, enabling us to chalk out a well-knitted plan of action for the nation simmering under the crosscurrents of geopolitical upheavals and economic downturn. At the same time, we must salute the fallen men who braved adversity to let us live in freedom, and the leaders of the Independence Movement who carved out a homeland to restructure our lives as per our wishes. One of the best tributes to them is to stick to the national agenda of positivity and let the Constitution reign supreme for delivering justice and social mobility. In an era, when the country is infested with terrorism and parochialism, adhering in principles to the National Action Plan comes as a grim reminder too.

To count on the achievements is the way to eulogise ourselves on this day, and reiterate that political stability and economic prosperity is our lifeline. We are blessed with an industrious workforce, plenty of natural resources, and the belief to rise with dignity. Nothing should dissuade us from this path, and it's high time the countrymen were bestowed with universal education and health, and national institutions galvanised to work in tandem as per the spirit of the Constitution. That is what the motto of Muhammad Ali Jinnah was as he enshrined the trinity of: Faith, Unity and Discipline. Long Live Independence!