Pakistani Nation is celebrating its 76th Independence Day on August 14, 2023. Independence has broader meanings which include; the state of being free/ freedom from any foreign occupation or slavery or else achievement of right of self-determination. It is in fact value which grants sovereignty to our nation and gives us the freedom to live “according to our culture, customs, and collective wisdom. The Independence Day reminds us that, it is a blessing of Allah Almighty and every Pakistani must respect it. Independence day also reminds us that, Pakistan is passing through a difficult time from three perspectives; political uncertainty with a new interim setup under Prime Minister AnwarulHaqKakar, economic crises which needs serious consideration for coming out from the clutches of IMF and social harmony while bridging the multiple fault lines. The forefathers of Pakistani nation had a paid huge price and unprecedented sacrifices for a separate home land for the Muslims of South Asia in the form of Pakistan. Sequel to War of Indian Independence-1857, the Muslim population of India was alienated by Colonial British rulers and the Hindu majority. This deep sense of alienation, discrimination and humiliation compelled the Muslims to think for their separate identity and ultimately a homeland of their own.
The Urdu-Hindi controversy-1867 was the first major event, which forced Muslim leaders like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, a great advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity to take a different stance and different course of action. Hindus of Banaras demanded replacement of Urdu with Hindi and its Persian script with that of Devnagri script. Despite his efforts for reconciliation with Hindu leadership, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had to say, “When even the language of a nation is not safe at the hands of other nations in a region, it would be unwise to continue living with them.”
In the later years, Muslims felt disaffection and a continuous discrimination even at the platform of ‘Indian National Congress’ established to take care of political rights of native Indians. Hindu leadership totally dominated this so-called liberal platform and used it for their political and socio-economic gains. Establishment of All India Muslim League in 1906, the fourteen points of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah-1929 and Allahabad Address of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal-1930, gave further impetus for the establishment of a separate Muslim identity and a separate homeland for the Muslim of India. Pakistan Resolution (Lahore resolution-1940) was a decisive moment and a milestone which paved the way for a Muslim homeland and in later years, Pakistan became the destination of Indian Muslims, living all over subcontinent. Seven years from Lahore Resolution, on August 14, 1947, Pakistan became a reality. This indeed was the consequence of hectic efforts of our forefathers and painful history of discrimination from Hindu and colonial rulers. Today, after 76 years of independence, Pakistan is facing a number of challenges. These challenges being faced by the state and society of Pakistan are even more crucial, uncertain, hostile and dangerous then our forefathers faced during the crucial Pakistan movement. Today, the anti-Pakistan forces are more in numbers and lethal in effect. They have both covert and overt presence inside and outside Pakistan. These challenges are both internal and external having intimate connections and linkages with enemies of Pakistan. The elements of extremism, radicalization and terrorism are only their tangible forms. The old rivals of Pakistan are now regrouping in a number of new forms and formats. The strategies, these forces are adopting are very treacherous, aiming to destroy the very basis of the state and society of Pakistan. These forces want to defeat and destroy the social filament and the ideology of Pakistani nation. The social structure and ideological bondage of Pakistani society is being shattered through the promotion of ethnicity, sectarianism and radicalization.
The past two decades have witness these tendencies in a more recurrent and rambling way. These factors have damaged the traditional coherence and harmony, the Pakistani society enjoyed for centuries.Whereas, the rival forces could solely and gradually proliferate into the roots of the peaceful Pakistani society to create a fissure and exploit those subsequently, the political leadership, the religious scholars and intellectual and academics are found wanting in playing their desired role of maintaining the harmony and coherence in the society. They could not develop a counter narrative against the quite visible strategies of the anti-state forces. Through a number of military operations, the armed forces of Pakistan have destroyed the organized basis of militants; however, with the return of Interim Taliban Government in Afghanistan in 2021, TTP has started re-grouping inside and outside Pakistan. Under the patronage of some Afghan Taliban, TTP has carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks on Pakistani military posts along Pak-Afghan border and even inside in major cities and rural areas. The security forces, especially Pak Army deserve a special appreciation for these achievements. Since Pak Army and other security forces have played their part, there is a need that, political forces, the religio-political groups, the religious scholars, the academia and Pakistani society must play their role in the consolidation of the gains, armed forces have attained through combating militancy and destroying their organized bases. On the eve of independence (14 August 2023), let’s promise that, we will serve our beloved country Pakistan by all means. Let’s reject all the internal fault-lines; ethnicity, factionalism, provincialism and sectarianism by becoming true Pakistani. Let’s utilize all our energies for the promotion of unity, development of our nation through educational excellence, social cohesion and harmony, development of youth, economic wellbeing of the country and above all through technological advancement in line with modern nations of the world. Besides, let’s defeat all the conspiracies being hatched against the state, society and ideology of Pakistan.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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