The dream lives on...

LAHORE: Allama Iqbal had dreamt of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent; and his dream was steered into reality by Quaid-i-Azam who spearheaded the struggle waged by the vast majority of Muslims. Quaid-i-Azam had envisaged Pakistan as a free, progressive, humane, and modern welfare Islamic State, ruled by just laws, rooted in the eternal values of Islam, and at the same time responsive to the imperatives of constant change where the people would enjoy equal rights without discrimination on the basis of religion, sect, ethnicity or gender.
Today, the 14th August is indeed the day to rejoice as on this day we got freedom from the British Raj. But it is also the day for introspection, self-accountability and evaluation as to how far we have been able to live up to the ideals set forth by the founding fathers.
Pakistan has indeed all the ingredients and resources to make it a welfare state, yet majority of the people are living below the poverty line.
The question is where did we go wrong? Unfortunately, Pakistan lost its Quaid and his comrades too soon, and a conglomerate of the privileged few — feudals, bureaucracy and new-rich industrial robber barons devoid of political acumen and vision — took over the state. The only redeeming feature is that Pakistan is now an atomic power, and its people and armed forces have the ability to meet any challenge posed by internal and external enemies of Pakistan. And they have the capability and the will to defend the integrity of Pakistan. The problem is that many an element is out to create confusion, and we still are obliged to listen to the debate as to the purpose for which it was created, though it has completed 66 years of its existence. The fact of the matter is that on Aug. 14, 1947 we got rid of the colonialism but fell a prey to neo-colonialism due to flawed policies of various governments of the past.
Since 1950s, we had to depend on the West for our development and defence, and the dependency syndrome was evident after Sept. 11, 2001 events when Pakistan was coerced into altering its foreign policy. The internal conflicts amongst political parties and lust of power of the politicians and some power-hungry generals had resulted in three Martial Laws in 1958, 1969 and 1977, and another military adventure in 1999. Unfortunately, the people got a raw deal during Martial Laws and suffered in the same manner during the tenures of democratic governments. Mainly, it was because of internecine conflicts of political parties and then formation of alliances demanding of the military to overthrow the elected governments. Another reason being, the degeneration has crept in every stratum of society with the result that the nation faces spectre of terrorism, corruption, nepotism and lawlessness. However, the people of Pakistan have not lost hope; their spirit is alive and kicking, and their dream lives on.
In Pakistan, barring a few honorable exceptions, most leaders lacked political acumen, leadership qualities and sense of direction that has brought the country to the present pass. Pakistan today finds itself at the crossroads. And to meet the internal and external challenges and threats to its security, it is imperative that the nation is united. Moreover, all pillars and organs of the state should work to convert moribund society plagued by corruption, immorality, inertia, factionalism into a progressive, vibrant and dynamic organism brimming with vitality and creativity. Allama Iqbal had given the clue as to how to achieve this laudable objective, and underscored the need to reinterpret Islamic thought and assimilate its eternal principles to overcome centuries-old stagnation with a view to launching the nation on the path to revival and build a future worthy of its glorious past.
Pakistan has industrious people, vast areas of land, variegated seasons suitable for various crops and fruits, rivers, large coastline and abundant natural resources. Its mountains and valleys are the most scenic in the world. Its strategic position, which is confluence and meeting point between Sinkiang of China, Iran and Central Asian Republics cannot be over-emphasized. Its principal city-port Karachi is a convenient route for Central Asian States for trade with the western and other countries. And with the completion of Gwadar deep-sea port, it has the potential to become a hub of international trade. Last but not the least, people of Pakistan are proud inheritors of traditions of great sufis, saints and poets who fostered the message of peace and brotherhood over the centuries. Inspired by their exhortations, the people of Pakistan are determined to establish socio-economic justice in the society with a view to uniting the nation. And Pakistan would one day find a respectable place in the comity of nations.
Like Allama Iqbal, we the people of Pakistan have a dream that one day our own glorious traditions will completely replace the legacy of British Raj and thus the bureaucratic and aristocratic classes will emerge as one class of people simply known as Pakistani nation. We have a dream that one day our nation-state of Pakistan will assume the actual meanings of its configuration as envisioned by the founding fathers and will not be identified with one of the most corrupt but with civilized nations of the world. We have a dream that one day this nation-state of Pakistan, sweltering with the heat of injustices for over half a century will transform into an oasis of freedom and justice. We have a dream that one day this nation divided on various lines will grow into a garden depicting unity in diversity. We have a dream that one day our children will live in an atmosphere where they will be judged not who by the language they speak, by the caste or the creed, by the color of their skins, but by the content of their character.

— The writer is Lahore-based senior journalist.