Public confession before the Father of the Nation

Most respected founder of my beloved homeland,

Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah aka Quaid-e-Azam.

I represent the third generation of the State you had founded some seven decades back. I am making this confession on behalf of the entire nation to tender my apology for letting you down by not observing your precepts and by leaving the path you had shown to my forefathers.

If this could please you, I wish to bring in your notice the status you enjoy within the country as our founding father and a charismatic leader. The entire nation, including our past and present leaders, deeply adores you. We cannot tolerate a single word uttered against your dignified personality or your conduct. Our course-books are extravagantly filled with your reverence and remarkable achievements. We take extreme pride in narrating your quotations. We celebrate your birthday in veneration of your grandeur through speeches and by organising high-level seminars.

I confess that even though I may stand out as a successful person for my family and friends who has achieved all the academic and professional goals with immense fortitude, my surrounding realities often compel me to cerebrate as to where I stand as a youthful Pakistani upon whose shoulders the real responsibility of fulfilling your dreams and taking on your ambitions rests.

I, being a wakeful representative of the youth, though do sense remorse for the dilapidated state of my beloved land and the apathetic conduct of my nation towards the mission wherefore you and your comrades undertook the struggle. But unhesitatingly, I would concede that, like my peers, I too, while my drawing-room talk, blame my elder generation for their indifference, ignominious leadership for maladministration, and the decayed system which is an obstacle in the way of progress, etc; whereas, on the practical front, I find myself nowhere to be found.

Often I find myself indulged in discussions complimenting the Western world, and making comparisons with my own country that I claim to love the most. But I never come up with any efficacious recipe for the amelioration to satisfy my patriotism so as to let my country stand among those models, or at least prepare the conversing participant(s) for a meaningful action.

Reproaching my own self, I feel obliged to confess that, being an educated and well-heeled citizen, my role has not been more than a mere spectator at the time of significant occurrences, whether it was election time or political movement, whether it was the occasion of destabilisation of democratic set-up or State aggression.

With deep regret, I would also confess that while professing patriotism before others, I sheepishly don't mind getting done with personal matters by paying extra bucks or by way of using influential sources.

Ashamedly, I concede that I eagerly review the calendar to mark dates of 23rd March, 14th August and 25th December, not because I desire to boost my patriotism then or to revitalise the commitment of taking Pakistan to new heights of prosperity, but alas, to plan a leisurely holiday.

I also remained in vain recalling any such deed which I may hereby proudly narrate to you. Conversely, denying the principles of nationhood and adherence, I maintained silence when confronted with State aggression against innocent protesters demanding their due rights; and turned my face away from the reality of scarceness of consumer products by storing extra food in my kitchen, turning on my own generator and purchasing the costly water.

I find myself speechless when I confront myself with questions you would want to ask your most valuable asset (youth) of your beloved nation:

• Is it enough to forward an emotionally charged patriotic message to the entire contact-list on your birthday; or to follow the footsteps or at least do a minor thing signalling the compliance of your aspirations would be a true expression of my solidarity with you?

• As a hope of nation, should I be spending my spare time in making minor efforts for attaining a greater milestone rather than pursuing leisurely activities or cursing the political hierarchy or using mere rhetoric?

• Do I qualify the criteria of a shaheen so illustrated by your colleague Allama Iqbal? Is my conduct in conformity with your vision for the nation?

• Should receiving quality education or discharging my professional responsibilities with utmost perseverance be my ultimate goal or treasuring the advancement and prosperity of West be my preferred subject?

• Do I deserve to be the one upon whom the forthcoming generations could count on a better tomorrow?

With due respect, I hereby make a solemn pledge to rectify my previous conduct and convert my regrets and apathy into constructive efforts in order to lay down a firm foundation which would enable our future generations to build a concrete structure and consolidate the stumbling blocks of our beloved homeland, so that they may interact with you proudly unlike me and my peers.

Sara Aslam Basar