QUAID-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of a state of Pakistan deserves to be treated not as ceremonial rhetoric but as a practical national policy, as today Pakistan confronts terrorism, political polarization, economic pressures, provincial grievances and a difficult regional environment. Pakistan can prosper only through unity, discipline, constitutional governance, national cohesion and the capacity to defend its sovereignty. Pakistan can’t afford a federation divided politically, socially or geographically. Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and the federal capital are not competing entities; they are components of one sovereign state. The federation must ensure that every province feels equally protected, represented and respected. Balochistan and KP deserve special attention. Both provinces have suffered enormously from terrorism and instability.
The state must strengthen law enforcement, intelligence coordination, education, employment, infrastructure, political participation and local governance. Development must reach ordinary citizens, because an alienated citizen is more vulnerable to propaganda than one who believes that the state belongs to him. Pakistan’s security establishment and government have expressed concern about hostile external forces exploiting internal vulnerabilities. Through terrorist networks, India is destabilizing Pakistan. Hostile states are exploiting ethnic, political and economic grievances to weaken a country from within. This is precisely why Jinnah’s concept of national unity remains so important.
In his March 1948 address in Dacca (Dhaka), the Quaid warned against provincialism and emphasized that Pakistan’s citizens must not allow regional identities to overwhelm their national identity. His concern was not that people should abandon their languages, cultures or provincial traditions; rather, he feared that narrow identities could be manipulated to undermine the federation. His warning has acquired renewed relevance in an age of information warfare, social media propaganda and hybrid conflict. Addressing the officers of the Staff College in Quetta on June 14, 1948, the Quaid described the defence forces as custodians of the life, property and honour of the people. The Quaid also understood that peace requires strength. At the Royal Pakistan Air Force station at Risalpur in April 1948, he stressed the importance of a capable air force for national defence. His broader philosophy was that Pakistan should seek peaceful relations with other nations but must possess sufficient strength to deter aggression. This is a lesson contemporary Pakistan cannot ignore. A responsible foreign policy requires diplomacy, dialogue and peaceful engagement, but diplomacy becomes more credible when backed by national resilience and credible defence capabilities.
Defence should never be interpreted narrowly as weapons and defence forces. The defence of Pakistan means defending its institutions, economy, constitutional order, social cohesion, borders, minorities and citizens. A country with a weak military and a weak economy remains vulnerable. This is where today’s political leadership faces its greatest responsibility. Political parties must stop treating every national crisis as an opportunity to defeat their domestic opponents. Differences are normal in a democracy; national fragmentation is not. Parliament, political parties, provincial governments and state institutions must establish a minimum national consensus on counterterrorism, federalism, economic stability and foreign policy. The same principle applies to the fight against terrorism in Balochistan and KP. The response must be firm against armed groups. Legitimate political grievances must be addressed through constitutional and democratic channels. Security and development should not be treated as competing priorities. They are mutually reinforcing pillars of national stability.
The Quaid’s legacy demands more than speeches at his mausoleum. It demands disciplined governance. It demands leaders who place Pakistan above party, province and personal interest. It demands institutions that operate within the Constitution. It demands citizens who reject violence, sectarianism, extremism and hatred. And it demands defence forces capable of defending the homeland while remaining firmly connected to the constitutional state and the people they protect. Pakistan’s enemies may attempt to exploit internal weaknesses, but external threats become dangerous only when internal divisions provide them an opening. The most effective answer is therefore not fear but national cohesion. On this death anniversary, the most meaningful tribute to Quaid-e-Azam would be to revive the spirit behind his words: unity, discipline, constitutional responsibility and courage. Pakistan needs a federation in which Baloch, Pashtun, Punjabi, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Gilgit and every other citizen sees himself as an equal stakeholder in the national project.
The Quaid created Pakistan through political struggle, constitutional argument and extraordinary determination. The responsibility of today’s leadership is to protect that achievement. Pakistan must remain vigilant against every external threat, including any foreign attempt to exploit unrest. It must also look inward and eliminate the vulnerabilities that make such interference possible. The ultimate defence of Pakistan will always begin with the unity of Pakistanis themselves. If the leadership can build trust between the federation and the provinces, strengthen institutions, defeat terrorism, promote economic opportunity and maintain credible national defence, the Pakistan envisioned by Jinnah can continue to withstand the pressures of a turbulent region.
—The writer is editor, political analyst & author of several books based in Islamabad.
