A place called home

August is the happiest month for the people of Pakistan. It reminds us of the time when we broke free from the clutches of the British Raj. As a young person, I took part in the freedom movement and witnessed the brutality of Gurkha soldiers in Rawalpindi where they ruthlessly killed hundreds of people. Today’s generation cannot possibly understand the struggles and sacrifices of people who fought for freedom.

Today, we celebrate the day as a ritual but do not treat the country as our own. Although Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah successfully saved us from complete annihilation, he did not live long to put the country on the path to prosperity. His successors did nothing but live beyond their means, adopting a lavish lifestyle and sinking the country into massive debts. Pakistanis have also become self-centred and are unwilling to work hard and pay taxes. Our politicians only care about themselves and their hold on power. While I congratulate my fellow citizens on the day of independence, I also request everyone to work and pray for the country. We seem to be on the path to destruction, and we must change our ways to pull the country out of the current mess.

Raja Shafaatullah

Islamabad