by Basil Andrews

It’s 63 years for Pakistan, the beautiful. Although this independence is a somber one (read the floods in Pakistan) the fact remains we are still here and slogging it out. On this independence I ask myself, have we achieved the Pakistan that was envisioned by its founders, chiefly the Quaid, Mr. Jinnah.

Have we realized the state that is supposed to be based on his principles? I think not. In fact, we are slowly and gradually losing the soul of Pakistan, steering away from the ideals founded by the Quaid. She is today the complete opposite of the state that Mr. Jinnah desired. Apart from the usual corruption, nepotism, bribery, etc; intolerance and apathy is a growing characteristic of the national psyche. For example, this year’s terrorist attack on Ahmadi community in Lahore did not spark the necessary reaction by the general public. Even the media handled the incident unprofessionally. The fact remains that this community was targeted for their religious beliefs including people of other faiths as well, all of this in stark contrast to Mr. Jinnah’s speech to the first Constituent Assembly on 11th Aug, 1947 wherein he explicitly stated that the mandatory safety of the life, property, religious beliefs et al, were to be safeguarded by the government of the day and that religion would not be part of the affairs of the state rather it would be a personal matter of the citizen. How can such communities grow, develop and prosper if they live in fear. This results in feelings of resentment that the state and its people have let them down. Integration of such communities is essential towards overall national development.

Apathy is the other characteristic that must be discussed. It must end. We are seemingly becoming cold to the sufferings of others. It is easy to look the other way and ignore them but it’s not the solution. The least one could do is show concern. If we want things to work out then we need to come together, we need to be cohesive. We must believe in people power. Our attitude must change and should be positive and optimistic. Collectively, we can accomplish what we think is unachievable. It’s as simple as the saying- united we stand divided we fall.

I conclude this article with a not much known fact. There are elements that are trying to distort the version of Jinnah’s Pakistan including tarnishing and altercating Mr. Jinnah’s personality. progressives and moderates cannot let this happen otherwise Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan will become a cold case file in the deep vaults of history.