“What’s your aim in life?” the teacher asked the students during class.

Every student had a different and ambitious goal to share. Finally, it was Zayn’s turn and his answer shocked and saddened his teacher.

“I just want to leave this country after completing my MBBS,” Zayn declared firmly. Everyone looked at him in astonishment.

His teacher sarcastically said, “What an aim! You mean you want to gain education in your country and then serve another country?”

“I just want to live a happy life, and honestly, teacher, I don’t think I can be happy living here in my country,” Zayn replied. “Here, people exploit the resources of this country for their own benefit, and no one is sincere. The middle and lower classes are the ones who suffer, and I don’t want to spend my life struggling here like my father does.”

His teacher looked at him thoughtfully and said, “Well, I think you need to reflect on what you’re saying because, in your journey to go abroad, you might end up doing the very thing you just criticised.” Then, after a brief pause, the teacher added, “Anyway, kids, let’s start our lesson for today,” and changed the topic.

That same night, Zayn pondered over his answer: “I was totally correct, but why did the teacher say those things to me, as if I was saying something outrageous? Why should I waste my time and energy here when no one is going to appreciate it? Perhaps the teacher just doesn’t want to face this reality!”

Lost in these thoughts, Zayn eventually fell asleep.

“Zayn, my dear child, wake up!” someone was trying to wake him. He opened his sleepy eyes, trying to locate the source of the voice.

“Oh, my God, Quaid-i-Azam! You’re here in my room, but you were...” Zayn exclaimed in astonishment.

“So you know who I am?” the Quaid asked.

Zayn answered, “Obviously! Who wouldn’t know you? You are the founder of our beloved Pakistan.”

The Quaid smiled faintly and said, “I think you’re just repeating a sentence you learnt in your textbooks.”

Confused, Zayn asked, “What do you mean?”

The Quaid replied, “I mean Pakistan doesn’t seem all that ‘beloved’ to you, based on your mindset. Earlier today, you said you wanted to run away from this country.”

Zayn looked at him, embarrassed and muttered, “I was just telling my aim.”

“So this was your aim,” the Quaid said. “Do you know that at one point, I could have left South Asia to live a better life? But I didn’t. I stayed, not just to secure my own happiness, but to ensure the happiness and dignity of my Muslim brothers and sisters. My aim was to give the future generations a precious gift: a life free from the wars and bloodshed we endured. For that aim, not just me, but your ancestors sacrificed so much. We lost everything — our homes, our loved ones and even our lives. But we never gave up and did everything we could.”

Zayn interrupted, “But now this country has nothing to offer me. Each government only makes things worse than the last one, leaving its citizens like me with a bleak future.”

The Quaid looked at him firmly and said, “Do you even realise what you’re saying? Our northern areas are some of the most beautiful places in the world. Our people are among the most talented and resilient. We have so much to cherish, so much to enjoy and so much potential to live meaningful lives. The conditions in this country today, which you lament about, are much better than the conditions people faced before the partition. But they were ready to sacrifice everything they had to gain freedom for their country and themselves. The problem isn’t with this country — it’s with the mindset of its people, like you.”

“Me? Seriously?” Zayn replied a bit down. “Do you think there’s no problem with the people running this country and the system?”

The Quaid continued calmly, “People like you don’t want to do anything to set things right in the country — you want others to do it, or you just want to run away without caring for what happens here. Instead of making an effort to change the conditions in Pakistan, your first instinct is to blame the politicians or others. The truth is, no one focuses on changing themselves; instead, they’re busy pointing fingers at others.

“It’s a fact that rulers are from among the populace and are a reflection of the citizens they rule over. If you want a better country, start by changing yourself and becoming better like you expect others to be. Moreover, it’s you who chooses your leaders, so try to choose wisely,” Quaid-i-Azam concluded.

Zayn, eager to prove his point, argued, “But there’s corruption in the leadership!”

The Quaid responded, “If there is corruption, then you can protest against it — but in a peaceful manner by not resorting to violence or harming one another. Instead, do it with wisdom and patience. There are many ways to improve the country, but people have to be willing to work for it.”

Hearing this, Zayn nodded slowly, beginning to understand what the father of the nation was trying to tell him.

Just then, Zayn’s eyes fluttered open, his dream still vivid in his mind. Zayn replayed the conversation between him and Quaid-i-Azam in his thoughts. Shaking his head to fully wake up, he exclaimed, “The Quaid’s points were correct. I need to think about this.”

He promised himself that he would replace his bad habits with good ones. And, instead of running away, he would focus on working hard to make the changes that will improve things in Pakistan and motivate others to do so too.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 22nd, 2025