Independence is not just a word; it is a great blessing. Nations that fail to value this blessing are relegated to the dustbin of history. Truly free nations remember the moments that shaped the course of their collective lives. To understand the value of freedom, one should ask the Muslims of occupied Kashmir and Palestine. The reality and importance of freedom can only be understood by those who have lived a life of slavery, and its worth is known only to those who have participated in the struggle for independence and sacrificed their loved ones for it.
Today is Pakistan’s Independence Day. On this day, the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent were granted a free and sovereign nation in the form of Pakistan. Pakistan represents the unique identity of the Muslims of the subcontinent. Since the British had seized power from the Muslims, they feared a strong reaction from them. In every aspect of life, the British Empire endeavored to keep Muslims backward, fearing they might regain strength and resist British rule once more. Thus, Muslims were not only deprived of power but also pushed into intellectual backwardness.
For any oppressed people in a region, gaining freedom from foreign rulers becomes incredibly difficult when the majority of the land’s inhabitants also oppose them. Muslim leaders realized that in a united India, Muslims would not be able to secure their social and religious rights. Pakistan came into existence after passing through such circumstances and challenges. Although the British government and the nationalist majority of India reluctantly accepted the demand for Pakistan, they never truly accepted its creation. The British, while drawing borders, included many areas in India, and with the encouragement of Governor General Lord Mountbatten, the Indian government seized Kashmir.
The study of the Pakistan Movement and the lives and services of the freedom fighters gives us a standard by which we can easily compare the selfless leaders of the independence movement with the current political figures. If we summarize the entire struggle of Quaid-e-Azam, which later became the Pakistan Movement, it revolves around three words that form the foundation of Quaid-e-Azam’s vision for Pakistan: (1) Rule of Law, (2) Democracy, (3) Religious Freedom. These three principles were the basis of his fight against both the British government and the Congress and other nationalists, and ultimately, he succeeded in winning the case for Pakistan.
Has the current Pakistan become the realization of the dreams of the freedom fighters and the followers of Quaid-e-Azam? To answer this question, we must look at some historical facts. The deeper we delve into the study of the Pakistan Movement, the more we recognize the greatness of the character of Pakistan’s founder and the sincerity of his selfless companions. We realize how different this movement was from contemporary movements and how unique the motivations of those involved were. Surprisingly, even people from regions that knew they would not be part of Pakistan were involved in the movement.
When Pakistan came into existence, it was the largest Muslim state in the world. Its establishment was like a dagger plunged into the hearts of evil forces. Consequently, they became bent on taking revenge for this humiliation. Their conspiracies deteriorated the internal conditions of this nation to the extent that, with the support of global powers, India, its eternal enemy, was given the opportunity to deliver a crippling blow. In 1971, this nation was divided, and East Pakistan became Bangladesh.
Despite extremely unfavorable conditions, this nation became the first in the Muslim world and the seventh globally to possess nuclear weapons, shattering the hopes of its enemies forever. However, their malicious intentions remained intact. When it became impossible for them to defeat Pakistan militarily, they began conspiring to create internal chaos and instability. Today, these conspiracies are at their peak. After setting Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria on fire, Pakistan is now being targeted by terrorism, sectarianism, and religious differences.
We must pledge to make every possible effort for Pakistan’s development, ensuring that the nation’s integrity is never compromised, and stand shoulder to shoulder with our security forces, who are fighting against terrorists. The time has come to boldly hold these elements accountable, no matter how much it displeases them and their foreign masters. The state of Pakistan is currently facing an onslaught from enemies on all fronts. These enemies are providing terrorists with training, weapons, and financial support to wage a proxy war against us.
Afghanistan has made its land a haven for terrorist groups. Pakistan’s armed forces are resolute in their fight against terrorists and are eradicating them. On the one hand, we claim to build a modern country, but if we are truly serious about this, we must reform ourselves both individually and collectively, as the dream of a modern Pakistan can only be realized when we are economically self-reliant. Without self-reliance, we cannot carve out a place for ourselves in the world, nor can we stand eye to eye with the world.
God has blessed Pakistan with abundant natural resources that, if harnessed with sincerity, can make the country economically self-sufficient. There are significant opportunities in Pakistan’s tourism industry alone; if we focus on it, we can earn substantial foreign exchange from this sector alone. Similarly, our country has a large number of skilled workers in the industries of bicycles, motorcycles, fans, solar systems, and UPS systems. By promoting these industries, we can strengthen our economy by exporting our products to other countries.
A modern Pakistan is one where ignorance and extremism have no place, where no one is killed based on their religion, sect, language, ethnicity, or tribe, where education is the top priority, where men and women have equal opportunities for education, and where teachers are respected as they were in the early Islamic eras. A modern Pakistan is one that progresses steadily on the path of development in a balanced, organized, and coordinated manner.
Where every youth is driven by a sense of self-reliance and where Pakistan leads the nations of the world. We must pledge to rid Pakistan of corruption, promote good political and democratic traditions, work diligently, and foster social traditions according to the vision of Pakistan’s founders. While celebrating our independence, we must pledge to make every possible effort for Pakistan’s development, ensuring that the nation’s integrity is never compromised, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army, police, and law enforcement agencies, who are fighting against terrorists.
On this day, we should also commit to making Pakistan clean and green by planting as many trees as possible. No matter how many ups and downs our national life faces, we will not rest until we mold our beloved country into a modern Islamic, democratic, and welfare state. May Almighty Allah grant us the strength to protect our freedom. (Amen)