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NOT everyone believes in the bold idea of what Pakistan could be. But the fact is, the dream still exists. It’s still there, no matter how difficult it seems to realise it. Yet, in these difficult times, our neighbour became a source of collective hope for the people of Pakistan.
Ordinarily, despondency dominates the life of the Pakistani people. Be it a young boy sitting at a Quetta cafe or the bureaucrats in Islamabad Club, every other sentence begins with a tired refrain: “This is Pakistan — you can’t do anything.” And perhaps this is fair; it has often been the case. Amidst the constant struggles of political instability, economic challenges and social divisions, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Yet, even in the most challenging times, the flickering hope, always just out of reach, remains something the ordinary Pakistani continues to chase.
As Howard Zinn suggests, “If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places — and there are so many — where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.”
And as Albert Camus reminds us: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
That invincible summer — our refusal to yield to despair — has carried us through every trial. During these times, we must emphasise and celebrate our remarkable stories. While criticism is important and necessary, the lack of appreciation for our stories and the failure to fuel that energy for progress has long been missing from the Pakistani discourse.
When you drop your shoulders again, remember the Rafales shot down by the Pakistan Air Force. Think about the times we’ve come together. During Covid, while others panicked and rushed to hoard supplies, we stayed calm and helped each other. It’s interesting, isn’t it? We used to call our people ‘jahil awam’ (illiterate nation). However, they acted more civilly when it mattered than those considered ‘civilised’. That’s something we should be proud of — from Arshad Nadeem, who broke records in javelin, to, again, the PAF downing an Indian jet in 2019. These aren’t just events; they’re magnificent stories, and we don’t talk enough about them.
Take, for instance, the recent Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, a situation where Pakistan spun the world in a different direction, sending a message that we can retain the escalation ladder. Many assumed that our internal chaos had weakened us. They miscalculated. Our neighbours may have believed they could exploit this situation. However, they did not account for the unity that emerged from within. Despite the Indian disinformation machine and war hysteria, Pakistanis stood firm and united against propaganda.
The contrast with our neighbour has been stark.
And in that storm, we didn’t just hold our ground; we won on every front. Militarily, morally, and yes, even in humour. While the fearmongers screamed on prime-time TV, Pakistanis responded with memes, satire and grace. Our restraint became our resistance. In the court of global perception, it became clear: India may have Bollywood, but when it comes to reality, credibility and narrative, they only won in the sphere of fiction.
This, too, is resistance. Our people, unlike many, do not blindly follow their leaders. We question. We protest. We dissent. We condemn violence unequivocally and refused to fall into the trap of state-sponsored narratives. The contrast with our neighbour recently has been stark, and it matte-red.
Everyone is awestruck at how different crises struck with full force and were repelled with equal indignation, which is something that charged us. And it is the same hope — the defiant, unbreakable kind — that the ordinary Pakistani clings to.
As Pablo Neruda wrote, “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep spring from coming.” No matter how harsh the winter of politics or prejudice, our spring of solidarity will return.
Now that everyone is on board, it is a hint for our leaders to maximise this opportunity to honour the remaining commitments. If grasped in a timely fashion, this second chance may prove a turning point, marking a resurgence of purpose and progress. The acknowledgment by military officials of the youth “who became the frontline soldiers as information and cyber warriors of the country” — and the media that stood as a “steel wall” against the Indian media, is a step in the right direction.
To our invincible summer, with love — may we continue to rise, to reach out and to write Pakistan’s next chapter in the ink of compassion and courage.
The writer is a lawyer.
Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025
