The upcoming 14th August will mark the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan. It was seven decades ago when the Muslims of the Sub-Continent united to create a separate homeland where they could peacefully live according to their own wishes and desires. People who struggled with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League, dreamt of a land where all would be equal and there would be no question of differentiation based on their religion, culture, cast or creed which was vocalised by Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s famous 11th August, 1947 address to the Constituent Assembly where he gave the infamous speech stating;
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
Unfortunately, this yearning and dream of Quaid was not manifested in the ‘Land of the Free’. As time passed by, Pakistan continued to embroil in a myriad of issues and threats to its stability increased but one thing remained constant – the love of the people of Pakistan towards their homeland.
Today, threats which potentially can implicate the existing state of Pakistan have multiplied manifold. Terrorism and violent extremism stand as the biggest challenges confronting the state of Pakistan. Along with the internal and external interference with the help of ‘facilitators’ present within the country stand as the biggest existential threat.
But the resolve and resilience exhibited by the people of Pakistan expressed time and again in the face of these circumstances is exemplary. It needs to be mentioned here that Pakistan has lost more than 80,000 of its people including civilians and military personnel. On this day, we must commemorate those who sacrificed their lives and families for a better future for Pakistan.
Lastly, 14th August is not just a day to hoist flags and play patriotic tunes, in fact it is a day to reaffirm our commitment to serve our beloved motherland and fulfill our national obligations of a progressive, prosperous and peace Pakistan.
God bless Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad!
خون دل دے کر نکھاریں گے رخ برگ گلاب
ہم نے گلشن کے تحفظ کی قسم کھائ ہے