70 years on

Pakistan came into being amid the trauma of Partition. Thousands of people were massacred and millions were displaced. But the hope of a prosperous, progressive and democratic homeland worked as a driving force and healed their wounds. However, this hope diminished when the first martial law was imposed in the country. Although it was largely imposed because of the incompetence on the part of our political leadership, it still dealt a critical blow for democracy. Within less than a period of 30 years, Pakistan lost its Eastern wing in 1971. After that, the country has witnessed a downward trend. Extremism and terrorism have tampered with the peace of the country. Countless people have died in different terrorist attacks. The land that the great leaders of the past had promised for us is suffering because of our carelessness.

Human rights violations are rampant and political instability has become the hallmark of our democracy. Corruption and backwardness are tarnishing the image of our land. We have not mended our ways. We have never had a leader who has worked selflessly for the country. But we cannot blame anyone for our decline. We should work tirelessly and contribute to the progress of our country, If we want to see a Pakistan that is a welfare state based on democratic values, we must follow in the footsteps of Quaid-e-Azam.

Sajjad Ahmed Kalhoro (Kandiaro)

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Seventy years ago, August 14 marked the independence of a country from the oppressive British Raj. The entire world was inspired by the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Today on the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, we wish we could have given something back to our leader. We are aware of what he expected from this nation. But we as a nation have let him down. We know we didn’t live up to his expectations and we understand that Pakistan today isn’t what he had envisaged it would be.

We haven’t found any leader like the Quaid in the past 70 years. We cannot reduce poverty, hunger and illiteracy. But we are still hopeful and continue to strive for a prosperous Pakistan. We know that Pakistan is facing difficulties in every sphere. But Pakistan will indeed see the dawn of the resurrection. There will be a time when all problems will be resolved and there will be peace across the country. We should bring the change. We should take small steps to lead our nation towards a brighter future.

Naima Sadaqat (Rawalpindi)