We are the solution to Pakistan’s problems

Work towards ideas you believe in, support causes, start your own cause, involve community, take action, engage others

In my previous article for The Express Tribune titled “Pakistan Zindabad?” (December 5), I discussed the issues Pakistan is facing and the daunting challenges that lie ahead. The struggle is hard and the future uncertain, but does it really mean that failure is around the corner? When you talk to people, the general feeling is that the country is going to implode, and yes that is a possibility. It can happen to us; in fact, it did in 1971. We are not immune to the consequences of instability. If lawlessness, sectarianism, human right violations and propaganda are allowed to persist, it will surely happen. A question then naturally arises. Is there a solution for our troubled land?

There is a solution, and no, it is not a revolution. A wide section of the population feels that we need a revolution like the Arab Spring to get us out of the clutches of dictators and politicians. It is important to point out that the revolution in Pakistan has already happened and it was far more effective than the Arab Spring. In Pakistan’s revolution, an important pillar of democracy — the judiciary — was strengthened, a free media came into existence and a populist party was able to emerge and establish itself. People can argue about the pace of change, but it needs to be realised that long-lasting change is always slow and the effects, subtle.

Before talking about a solution for Pakistan, we need to discuss a really important thing: hope. Unfortunately, people in Pakistan do not understand the power of this word. We throw the word around by saying that there is no hope for Pakistan and that all is lost. What we fail to realise is that hope, by its very nature, is supposed to exist in places like our country. Hope is not something that is needed in developed societies. It exists in places exactly like Pakistan — places that are trying to survive. The problem is that hope needs to be actively searched for. One can argue that hope is the only thing that exists in Pakistan.

Hope and Pakistan’s future are deeply intertwined. But, where is hope? What does it look like? And what does it have to do with the solution for Pakistan? The answer is obvious. Hope is the people around us. It is our friends, friends of friends, relatives, neighbours and each and every individual. Hope is found in entrepreneurs, activists, enthusiasts and ordinary citizens. It is the people behind The Citizens Foundation, Akhuwat, Aman Foundation, Edhi Foundation and numerous unnamed and lesser known ventures. Hope is ordinary citizens looking to change their communities and their fate. Look around you, and you shall find so many ordinary people who are making an impact and are following their dreams. The key is to listen to their stories, to understand their dreams and be inspired by their actions.

The solutions to Pakistan’s problems are its people. There is no need to complain, cringe and blame others. Work towards ideas you believe in, support causes, start your own cause, involve your community or neighbourhood, establish businesses, take action and engage others. There is a Jinnah, Gandhi, Mandela and Edhi in each one of us. One hopes, that we, the individuals, realise our potential and importance. One hopes that we become the change that is needed in our society. And one hopes to succeed against all odds.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2014.

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