KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday said that the strength of a nation lies not in “guns and bullets”, but in its rich culture, strong history, and political heritage.

He emphasised that it was from these foundations that the power to confront challenges of a new era could be drawn.

A PPP statement issued here said that Mr Bhutto-Zardari was addressing a ceremony held to commemorate the convening of the “First Constituent Assembly” of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, on the premises of the Sindh Assembly.

To strengthen his argument, the PPP chairman referred to western countries and said they were not superpowers only because of their military might and developed economy. “If they claim to be superpowers, they have embraced their own culture. They have embraced their culture so thoroughly that today our children are listening to their artists’ songs, watching their movies, and following their TV shows. This is what true soft power means — winning hearts and minds.”

Asks CM to consider establishing media university in Karachi

He continued: “That’s why I believe in the vision of Quaid-i-Awam [former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto] regarding culture and history. If we had promoted and invested in our cultural heritage, from the Indus valley civilisation to our modern cultural aspects, in the right way, perhaps today, Pakistan’s films, music, and art would be thriving globally.”

He cited the history of struggle behind the Pakistan Movement and contributions of the then political leadership and said: “We established our country, and look at how it was done. Was a single bullet fired? Was Pakistan created because our army was powerful? No, we succeeded because our politicians were successful, and the leadership was effective. And that success came from uniting the nation. To build a nation, they undertook a historic struggle and emerged victorious.”

He called for unity, emphasising that Pakistan is once again facing challenges that require harmony and consensus among its people and warned that any failure to achieve this could result in serious disappointment, particularly among the youth.

“But if we continue to fight amongst ourselves and fail to understand that true power lies not in guns and bullets, but in culture and politics, then we will not be able to meet the expectations of the youth and fulfil their hopes,” he added.

He also agreed with the proposal to set up a media university in Karachi that could equip the younger generation with the modern techniques and tools of the fast growing industry.

“I request the chief minister to consider the idea of a public-private partnership to establish a media university in Karachi,” he said. “This initiative would provide an invaluable opportunity to train our youth in the modern culture of the media industry, equipping them with the latest tools and technology to thrive in today’s world.”

The central president of the PPP women wing, Faryal Talpur, and others also spoke.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025