As others up and down the country took on a celebratory tone for Independence Day on August 14, VJ and model Anoushey Ashraf refrained from doing the same. Feeling no impetus to celebrate, Anoushey instead took the opportunity to turn to her Instagram Stories and pose some hard questions, beginning with the general state of the internet in the country.
"From demanding to get Paypal to begging to get [the] internet. We are heading to the stone age," wrote Anoushey, her disappointment evident. "The internet is barely working, voice notes won't download, pictures won't load, and even Facebook is crawling. Freelancers on Fiverr are getting their accounts suspended. And you still feel like celebrating August 14? Seriously?"
In Urdu, Anoushey lamented, "We don't even have the basics anymore."
If Anoushey's IG Stories are any indication, she blames those at the helm of the government for the state of affairs. Slamming political gain as the reason behind the lack of prosperity, Anoushey wrote, "They want to keep us poor, uneducated and underpaid forever. That's how they will hold their power long-term!"
In Anoushey's eyes, the state of the internet in Pakistan is not the only cause for dismay. A book-lover at heart, the VJ posted a photo of the international terminal at an airport in Pakistan, highlighting the closure of its sole bookshop, once a haven for readers like herself.
"Celebrating Independence Day?" wrote Anoushey in a separate Story. "This is the spot where the only bookstore in the international terminal used to be. It was a mini respite when I'd travel out and had to spend some time in these insipid lounges."
Like her fellow celebrities, Anoushey used her wide reach to spread her own August 14 message on social media – although it was more of a warning than a blanket note of celebration.
"We need unity to rise," she cautioned. "In a country which is divided by religion, agenda, creed and language, there is a general lack of oneness. We aren't one nation. And if you aren't one nation, you cannot rise to challenges."
Writing her heartfelt wish for the nation, the VJ continued, "My only dua this August 14 is that we consider ourselves true Pakistanis first. You can be whatever you want after. Uniting under one flag for true freedom will be our only saving grace. At the moment we're too against one another to fight anyone at all."
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