INDEPENDENCE Day should be a day to reflect and ponder over the mistakes of the past rather than celebrating fiction in the name of history. On Aug 14, Pakistan celebrated its 76th Independence Day with grand displays and reiteration of promises to transform the country into a diverse, multicultural and tolerant society as per the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Really? Do we actually want to follow the Quaid’s path?

Since Jinnah’s death in 1948, Pakistan’s leaders have marked Independence Day with fanfare, making sure that the founding father’s vision remains at the centre of all celebrations.

However, with every passing year, the country has only moved further away from Jinnah’s vision.

After more than seven decades, the country has not been able to escape the ‘India syndrome’, meaning some vested interests in Pakistan have made unambiguous efforts to find a permanent enemy in India.

Pakistan is currently in the midst of political, constitutional and economic crises. Parliament has become practically irrelevant; the country’s judicial system faces a collapse; the bureaucracy is deeply politicised and resists reforms that could see the administrative system becoming more effective; the country’s security institutions are more involved elsewhere rather than with their mandated work; and the militant groups and ideologies have settled deeply in the society.

The country is far more intolerant, regressive and radical than ever before. Indeed, the biggest security crisis confronting Pakistan today emanates from within rather than from outside.

It is about time the leadership did some course correction and thought about making Pakistan a country that is respected, valued and sought after by the world.

The country needs a clear direction, otherwise, the gradual decay of the state’s institutions and ethos would eventually lead to unimaginable consequences.

Manan Ijaz
Lahore

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2022