Via mydiaryblogsite.blogpost.com
Happy Independence Day, Pakistan! 64 years after this country was born, and we face numerous obstacles & challenges (understatement of the year?). And yet, for those of us who continue to work tirelessly for the betterment of Pakistan, hope has waned but it is not lost. At least, anyway, for me. Below, Aamer Arshad, who works in energy finance in the U.S. but was born-and-raised in Karachi, shares his thoughts on this day:
This past Sunday marked 64 years since the creation of Pakistan through the vision and dedication of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Having lived in America for over a decade now and visiting Pakistan regularly, I find myself drawing parallels between my two nations. I was born and raised in Pakistan, but I married and settled in America. Living in relative calm here in my new nation, I ache for those left behind in the panic-stricken being that is life in Pakistan. Reading the news of both countries each morning, I find both disheartening. But the stark parallel is ‘to what extreme?’
A word that has become mantra in Pakistan is “desensitized”. Apparently, we are no longer sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. I am told we do not feel any remorse when we see carnage ripping through our cities. They say we are accustomed to the blood that spatters our paths. Some blame the media for lambasting us with horrific scenes of butchery. Others say we are ravenous for the macabre. A guilty pleasure?
I disagree. I have spent time with Pakistanis from all walks of life. There are the haves and the have-nots, those that have-way-too-much, and those who have-nothing-at-all. These people walk very different paths and their paths drift further by the day. They are on opposite sides of the ideological divide that rips Jinnah’s Pakistan apart. But they have in common their propensity to feel. We need to show that we feel. We need outrage to engulf us every time we see the innocent massacred. We need our voices to become the wrath against this sadistic pastime. If, in fact, we are desensitized to everything that is transpiring around us, we need to change this now.
In America, seldom do we see grisly images on T.V. without a disclaimer advising viewer discretion. It is no surprise that Americans seem to be deeply affected by tragedy or misfortune. Memorials abound of calamity that happened eons ago. Vigils take place on the anniversary of each life lost. Moments of silence occur often enough to make it a quiet day. It is this remembrance of what is wrong that gives Americans the will to make it right. We need the same in Pakistan.
It is this rejection of injustice that will be our shield. It is the memory of bloodshed- that will be our sword. And it is the intolerance of brutality that will be our mandate to act against the senseless butchery that plagues our nation. We need to keep ourselves and our youth from being inundated with the godless mess that flashes across our screens every day. Those who say this is how we face reality – tell them that they are desensitizing themselves and their future generations. Pakistanis to come should be outraged by the mere mention of injustice; our memories should serve as their barrier against wrong; and they should be riled by abuse, as their American cousins will be.
I hear that Pakistan will never change. The ordinary wisdom is that our leaders will remain of the same cadre and demographic for ever. People say a common man can never be at the helm of Pakistan. This may be true today. But one of our strengths as Pakistanis is fast becoming our weakness; our capacity to endure calamity and persevere; our nonchalance towards the injustice that we face. We must not turn the other cheek. We must learn to feel cheated, robbed and raped. We must stand against the violation of our human and civic rights. And we must bring about change.
Just over 70 years after American Independence, this nation fought a bloody civil war that changed its face forever. Pakistan is still a very young nation. Let us change our posture before we instigate a war that will bring about our ruin. There are very few people who can single-handedly change the course of a nation. Let us focus our efforts to the future and give rise to a generation that will remember our struggles and never bow in the face of oppression.
Yom-e-Istaqlal Mubarak!
The contribution is the sole opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinion of CHUP. If you would like to contribute a piece to CHUP, please email Kalsoom at changinguppakistan[at]gmail[dot]com. Pieces should be no longer than 800 words please. For past contributions, click here.
Every Country has potential, but what makes it different is the foundation of ideas on which it is created.
In this way Pakistan is one of two Countries found on the basis of Religion, the other one being Israel.
You might argue that it was created for the welfare of Muslims, but what defines a Muslim and what is it that separates him from the rest? Answer: His Religion. In that way, it is found on the principle of division, saying ‘Muslims form a different nation than the majority’.
Your sensitivities might be hurt, but Jinnah is to blame here. Azad had predicted this state for Pakistan before it was even born. So, Jinnah’s vision, that you point you in the article, is deeply flawed. No matter how many Quotes you provide of Jinnah demanding a Secular Pakistan, the very act of speaking only on behalf of one community betrays that sentiment.
Pakistan has to reject the divisive 2 nation theory and adopt a pluralistic theory, like Bangladesh did. In a sense, become more like India.
Anoop you pose a valid argument; however my point was not to argue for or against Jinnah’s ideology. I am more concerned about what is unfolding in Pakistan today, specifically the political game of chess, where the sacrificial pawns are the innocent bystanders.
Most of the bloodshed surrounding my loved ones is the result of daily tit-for-tat skirmishes between rival political gangs that are fueling ethnic sensitivities, and on the religious front, it’s Shia vs Sunni — Muslim vs Muslim violence!
So to get back to your point, the issue at hand is not of Muslims searching for an identity separate from a majority populous…its more about the infighting between Pakistanis themselves. It’s as if Republicans started murdering Democrats in the streets of Washington DC, or if Catholics began slaughtering Protestants every time they crossed paths.
Whatever the problem is (whether you are right or I am) it’s about ‘feeling’ enough to want to make a change!
Aamer- It may be naive to draw parallels between ideological differences between democrats and republicans to those as a result of religious beliefs. The problem being that in a democratic, secular society any ideological differences can be resolved equitably by means of elections and constitutional amendments. While differences arising out of religious beliefs especially if a country is founded on the principles of a monolithical religion are extremely rigid leaving no possibility for a change.
Shiv,
The Dems vs Republican scenario was not drawing a parallel to religious violence. It was drawing a parallel to the political violence that plagues Pakistan. Most of my family hails from Karachi, a city that has been stained red by “target killings” and skirmishes between three of the popular political parties, namely the PPP, MQM and ANP.
Amer,
Catholics and Protestants have been slaughtering each other for quite a long time, Northern Ireland’s problems have still not been solved.
Aamer,
What lacks in Pakistan is moral leadership. A leadership which can speak across divides and speak of unity This is a disease which affected Pakistan when Jinnah died and continues to this day.
One of the reasons I think this is so is because of a lack of an acceptable Pakistani identity. In 65 years Pakistan has produced 1, maybe 2, leaders who can unity the masses across different provinces. If you compare this with India, it doesn’t have any such problems. It produces leaders of all types and occasionally produces some real gems.
Pakistan has to get back to the basics of nation building, but that is easier said than done. What is ideal is the emergence of a leader with moral fiber and respect across all communities in Pakistan who can rebuild the ideology of Pakistan, taking on the military simultaneously.
Maybe then different ethnic groups will feel like Pakistanis before Pastuns or Sindhis or anyone else.
Agreed 100%! And that is basically what I was trying to lead up to in my piece. Pakistani’s have developed an immunity to what is taking place around them, and unless they start caring again and teaching their chldren that what is taking place is not right, is not ‘normal’, how can we even expect a leader to emerge with the moral writ to challenge all the madness.
Perhaps I have a different world view. However, for any nation to succeed it needs to instill the values of separation of church and state. Only then every minority or factions within Islam will feel part of a nation that will be offered a fair presence and a sense of national integrity based upon an identity that supersedes religious indoctrination. This is the fundamental problem that all nations including US are still grappling with. A nation where every citizen is free to practice religion of their choice and/or not practice any religion at all is critical in building a strong nation even though the general consensus may be against such philosophy. Leadership is only secondary.
Aamer,
Pakistan needs luck now more than anything else. It needs a Nehru.
A typical Indian comment that can be seen under any post with the word Pakistan in it.
Unfortunately we might pay tribute to the founder of our nation and celebrate our independence day but we have forgotten his message.
Awais – would you mind elaborating?
The best way to pay our respects to Jinnah is by implementing his message of tolerance. Instead today we are at each other’s throats.
[...] Pakistan: My Nation Turns 64 – Aamer Arshad [...]
Very well written. This is indeed something that people have almost gotten used to and started considering a way of life. I hope people in Pakistan open their eyes and see the right side and i definitely hope there is no such thing as the Civil War in Pakistan. That will be a devastation we may not recover from for decades considering the current political and economical state of Pakistan!
Definitely a Great motivation and a Great read.
Aamer,
A couple of things I’d like you to clarify:
1. Jinnah’s pakistan.
Why does everybody refer to their idea of pakistan
as jinnah’s pakistan?
Indians don’t consider India as Mahathma Gandhi’s or
Nehru’s or Patel’s or Ambedkar’s India. (or Lord Krishna’s or Lord Ram’s)
2. You also state:
“Just over 70 years after American Independence, this nation fought a bloody civil war that changed its face forever. Pakistan is still a very young nation.”
Don’t you remember the 1971 Bangladesh War of Liberation?
It happened just 24years after Pakistan’s formation.
An entire nation was created as a result of that war.
Would you not consider it a as a civil war, where a particular group of people
wanted to break away from the rest?
CRK,
I cannot speak for others, but I refer to it as Jinnah’s Pakistan because Jinnah was the founder of our nation, and commonly referred to in Pakistan as Baba-e-Qaum, or “Father of the Nation”. Jinnah was someone who worked tirelessly for the creation of Pakistan, and in my opinion he is one of the very few politicians who had Pakistan’s interest at heart more than his own (whether you agree with this or not, that is another issue!). I also cannot speak for the people of India and what they choose to call their country!
As for your second point, you are correct. The ’71 war was indeed a civil war which tore our country apart. I guess I should say we need to avoid “another civil war”.
This is the kind of mentality Pakistanis need in order to be a better state. Very well written, with a very concise point of view!
There is no spark in these ashes. Pakistan has no future and any future if it has means more sacrifices by poor people for the preservation of a fraudulent ideology which was promoted by the ruling elite to exploit the religious sentiments to remain at the helm of power.
The only way the country will move forward is by going secular like B’desh. Otherwise the mullah inspired explosions will continue.
We should all work towards a Secular Pakistan.
Now might be a good time to remember that those mullahs were actually encouraged by a man in uniform many years ago. That man died in a plane accident but the legacy he has left behind is no accident.
It is basically the legacy of ‘Not India’ that he (and others before and after him) have tried to define Pakistan as. So, unless that legacy is buried one does not see how things will improve. And that will not happen unless the learned middle class speaks up.
Mind you, India did not try to define itself as ‘Not Pakistan’ or ‘Not Britain’ or ‘Not China’. It tried to seek its own identity….is still trying and walking the path forward despite all the troubles she faces from time to time.
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
Pakistan have we evolve? The concern: since not Punjabi. Pashto seek freedom from the oppressive. Regime Allah going to grant
emanicpation. Corruption in UnIslamic Pakistan the land of nepotism!
EWI’s Brad L. Brasseur argues that full mutual recognition of the Durand Line would allow both countries to more effectively police their borders, and would facilitate much-needed economic development in the border regions. The validity of the Durand Line is already supported by international law and practice, he writes, but only mutual recognition will allow the two countries to cooperate and move forward in peace.
Arguing that the international community has an interest in a stable and secure Afghanistan–Pakistan border, Brasseur adds that outside investors can incentivize a resolution to the long-standing border issue by promising investment on the condition that border control and local security conditions improve.
http://www.ewi.info/recognizing-durand-line-way-forward-afghanistan-and-pakistan