Pakistan: The epitome of resilience
We need to rid ourselves of the cynical attitude ingrained within us
In light of what it is currently witnessing – the protests and floods – Pakistan is at the forefront of the media all around the world. The past few weeks have been turbulent for Pakistani politics and our image is being tarnished day by day. The fact that Karachi is reckoned among the top 50 dangerous cities of the world is doing no justice to this nation we call home.
Constantly bombarded with statistics on bomb blasts, death tolls, suicide attacks, kidnappings, gang violence, acid attacks and the like, I fail to believe that we are defined by such atrocities.
With our population climbing towards the 200 million mark, we have the potential to achieve a lot, yet our increasing population is deemed to be a negative thing. At the time of writing, as I entered ‘Pakistan’ into my Google search, the top hits included stories on the Islamabad sit-in, new polio outbreaks, a banned cricket player, petty politics and the severe damage caused by the floods. Is this all we’re about? Is this what makes us?
Each of the four provinces is home to a variety of minerals and energy resources. Coal, copper, gold, and semi-precious minerals can be found in abundance. We are among the top 10 textile exporters of the world. We have the seventh largest army in the world. We have a rich cultural heritage enabling us to attract tourism.
With these promising statistics, why are our exports in billions while our neighbour’s exports are in trillions? Why is our GDP not on par with that of India? Despite getting independence at the same time, India excels in every field possible. We have the potential to be so much more and it can only be achieved when we stand united as a nation.
Senior PML-Q leader Mushahid Hussain said in a joint session of parliament recently: “We need to move away from the Mughal mindset to a Mandela mindset.” I couldn’t agree with him more.
This nation is in dire need of change. We need to unite to promote the more favourable aspects of our country.
We need to rid ourselves of the cynical attitude ingrained within us. If we stand united, we are so much more than what the world sees. There is more to us than just sectarianism, bribery, corruption, poverty and illiteracy. There is more to this country than just terrorism, violence, guns and bombs. We are the epitome of resilience.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2014.
Constantly bombarded with statistics on bomb blasts, death tolls, suicide attacks, kidnappings, gang violence, acid attacks and the like, I fail to believe that we are defined by such atrocities.
With our population climbing towards the 200 million mark, we have the potential to achieve a lot, yet our increasing population is deemed to be a negative thing. At the time of writing, as I entered ‘Pakistan’ into my Google search, the top hits included stories on the Islamabad sit-in, new polio outbreaks, a banned cricket player, petty politics and the severe damage caused by the floods. Is this all we’re about? Is this what makes us?
Each of the four provinces is home to a variety of minerals and energy resources. Coal, copper, gold, and semi-precious minerals can be found in abundance. We are among the top 10 textile exporters of the world. We have the seventh largest army in the world. We have a rich cultural heritage enabling us to attract tourism.
With these promising statistics, why are our exports in billions while our neighbour’s exports are in trillions? Why is our GDP not on par with that of India? Despite getting independence at the same time, India excels in every field possible. We have the potential to be so much more and it can only be achieved when we stand united as a nation.
Senior PML-Q leader Mushahid Hussain said in a joint session of parliament recently: “We need to move away from the Mughal mindset to a Mandela mindset.” I couldn’t agree with him more.
This nation is in dire need of change. We need to unite to promote the more favourable aspects of our country.
We need to rid ourselves of the cynical attitude ingrained within us. If we stand united, we are so much more than what the world sees. There is more to us than just sectarianism, bribery, corruption, poverty and illiteracy. There is more to this country than just terrorism, violence, guns and bombs. We are the epitome of resilience.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2014.