The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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For as far back as I can remember I haven’t celebrated August 14[SUP]th[/SUP]. It’s not because I wasn’t born in Pakistan and never lived there (until now) and it’s not because I don’t love the country. Despite having spent all my life outside of Pakistan, I have always loved the country and felt upset at the set backs it has suffered both at the hands of its leaders and at the hands of an apathetic public who has resigned itself to its nation’s fate.

We as a nation have failed to realize that when the country flourishes everyone benefits and when it suffers only a few may possibly benefit and that too not for long. A better Pakistan is in the best interest of every citizen residing within its borders and every individual outside its borders that identifies as a Pakistani.

The freedom fighters who fought for the creation of Pakistan had a vision, a vision in which Pakistan stood for freedom, for hope, for prosperity. Unfortunately the signs of promise vanished—present day Pakistan is in ruins—a mere shadow of what it once was and what it could have become. The Pakistan of today is neither what it was envisioned to be, nor is it free—it is shackled by the chains of corruption, economic decline, looting leaders, and a public that can still only be described as apathetic.

So forgive me if I refuse to celebrate my country’s birth and independence until it is truly free and headed towards becoming what it was intended to become.

The only way there is any hope for our beautiful country to realize its full potential and become what our founding fathers intended it to become is if we as citizens of Pakistan step up to the plate—we, the citizens must unite and realize our potential to make a difference on an individual basis. If each of us built within ourselves hope and realization that one person can make a difference then Pakistan will become a nation of people filled with hope and a new found enthusiasm to work towards making their country a better place. With each person working towards a better Pakistan that would potentially be 180 million individuals working towards a better Pakistan (and that’s not counting the non resident Pakistanis)—how could Pakistan fail if we all united, realized that we would ALL flourish once our country flourishes, and decided to make a difference no matter how small?

Yes we need leaders who sincerely love Pakistan and are genuinely concerned about it, but Pakistan will take steps towards its true independence and its full potential when WE, the people realize WE (the individual Pakistanis) ARE THE CHANGE! (whether we live in Pakistan or not). THAT’S when Pakistan will truly flourish no matter what kind of leaders we have. And it is then that I will celebrate August 14[SUP]th. [/SUP]It is then that August 14[SUP]th[/SUP] will truly be a joyous occasion and a day to be celebrated with passion and feverous patriotism.

Let’s go forth this Independence day with a determination to do something for our country to make it a place we can be proud of, so that one day we can truly celebrate OUR PAKISTAN!

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan’s Un-Independence!

Very well said. :k:

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

I get the point of the OP and frustration. Nicely written. :)

Celebration of a country's 'freedom' is never in a literal sense. 14th August is also considered the day when Pakistan was created.

For any citizen of his/her country, it is the day when some time is spent over rejoicing the creation of the country, as well as plan for the future betterment.

A person would not stop celebrating creation of his/her country even if the country is occupied by outsiders.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

Baat to sach hey magar baat hey ruswai ki :(

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

i cant celebrate its creation diwana bhai because i feel like it was brought into creation and then pushed back... i hope you can see where I am coming from.

In his speech of August 11, 1947 Quaid-e-Azam said:

[QUOTE]
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State... We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State... I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in due course Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.”

[/QUOTE]

Pakistan was created in the name of Islam for the betterment of the downtrodden Muslims of India. Despite economic hardships and shortage of resources, Pakistan survived without collapsing, and also showed signs of future promise--but in present day even a shadow of the promise it showed is not visible.

Pakistan ko banaane mein ek jazba tha ...and both the emotion and vision behind the creation of the country are quite apparent in quaid-e-azam's speech...magar aaj woh jazba kahin kho chuka hai... and it's like we are all sleeping while our country is being raped. We are in a persistent vegetative state...we see everything that is happening to the country that we were privileged to call our own and yet we sit by idly and cannot bring ourselves to rise up and fight for what our founding fathers worked so hard to give us. This is how we have treated the gift that was given us ...koi qadar nahin ki humne na humne isko protect kiya...it was a privilege to be a pakistani and unfortunately we dont deserve it kyunki hum isse sambhaal nahi paaye.

Im not denying that it was a great day in history when our country was formed, i'm just refusing to accept Pakistan as it is because this is not how it is supposed to be this is not what it was meant to be and this is not the real Pakistan... Pakistan is full of unrealized potential and WE are to blame for its current condition. When things are put right and Pakistan is headed in the right direction then I will feel that now Pakistan has truly been created...until then i cannot celebrate ....i will celebrate when i feel it has truly been created and is truly free.

Aap celebrate karein i wont stop anyone but my first independence day celebration will be when this country is headed in the right direction, it doesnt necessarily have to become the best before i celebrate it just headed in the right direction. In the meanwhile, I'll think of ways i can make a difference and implement those as soon as I can inshaAllah...

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan’s Un-Independence!

:blush:

​haan sahi kehte hain sach hai magar baat hai rusvaayi ki

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

Let us take a step back and start with people instead of leaders. A country is a reflection of its people and I believe that we, as a nation, have not done justice to this country. I fully agree with you that "we are the change." But are we ready for change? Drawing room discussions, grumblings in parties and brainstorming on telephones do not change anything on the ground. Where is the youth of the country which makes 63% of the country? Why they remain mum on courruption and mismanagement of their country? They love finger-pointing but what is the actual contribution of such a huge percentage of the population in solving the issues the country is facing? I do not want them to drive tanks and fly F-16s to threaten political and bureaucratic mafias, but at least they can form some sort of pressure groups to make their voice heard.

Did the Pakistani youth learn anything from the Tunisian youth? I don't think so! Will they learn it ever, I don't know!

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan’s Un-Independence!

Why refusing to celebrate the Independence any its ur choice

Its all for nothing if u dont have Freedom and Yes we got it doesnt matter how the situation of Pakistan is at the government level doesnt mean we should stop celebrating our Independence which is our right

Pakistan Zindabad :jhanda:

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan’s Un-Independence!

thats my point waleed paa…kehrri independence? and no it’s not ur right…it never was … it was a privilege that we misused and therefore we dont have a right on it anymore until we fix it.

how can u even say Pakistan Zindabad when all we are doing is running it into the ground…Zinda chorr hi nahi rahe yaar hum is mulk ko

we HAVE to be ready for the change…we have to get out complaining within the comfort of our homes and actually do something…

i think the youth of Pakistan are slowly getting to the realization that the answer lies in them… or at least one can hope that that’s happening the question becomes how and when we will mobilize for our country

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

maybe more people want to be the CHNGE than we think...its just they dont know how to go about bringing that change, is that a possibility? or is it just because they just dont wanna do anything?

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

^ join pti suna hai ChAnGe are coming with sunami.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

No party or individuals can change our fortunes until we ourselves are willing to change us.

suna hai na

khuda ne aaj tuk uss qaum ki halat nahi badli, na ho jis ko khayal apni halat k badalne ka

iqbaal sb bari patay ki baat bata ker gaye thhay.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

I celebrate every year and will continue to do so. I guess, if only we the citizens make pledge to ourselves that we will make effort to give something back to our homeland, in our own little or big way. nobody else is going to come and change things overnight, ju bhi kerna ab khudhe kerna hai. the day we Pakistanis start working sincerly for a better progressive Pakistan, our times would change inshaAllah. :)

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

this thread wasnt meant to be a downer or a call to refrain from celebrating the 14th ... it was a call for us to rise up and save our country before its too late.

the point was to say that its high time we stop moaning and groaning and pointing fingers and get up off our behinds and do something to bring about the change that we want for this country

the point was our country is not free and it is in decline....we have to wake up and realize our country has all the potential to be much much much better than this...but it will never realize its potential until WE do something

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

While there is a lot wrong but to live in envy of Tunisian youth is not the way to go. Tunisia has been under dictatorship for over 40 odd years and so has the whole of middle east. If they have woken up now where were they years ago. Why am I saying that because the youth of Pakistan rose up against Ayub Khan in 69 and overthrew him, What did they get in return, Yahya Khan? They rose again and overthrew Bhutto, what did they get, the worst of worst Zia. They rose again and overthrew Musharraf and what did they get a joke of democracy and the most incompetent and corrupt govt. I am sure you will forgive them if they have become cynical and are not rising up again, the end result for them is one lootera after another.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

so then have we just be horrible judges of people? is it just that we keep rising up again and again only to choose the wrong leaders and now what? we've just given up? how is giving up the answer ehsan uncle?

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

No we were not wrong in choosing wrong leaders. Whenever we rose new leaders were imposed on us, courtesy of the military. Yahya, Zia and Musharraf were imposed on us by the military not the people. yes we as a nation did make the mistake of electing a corrupt and incompetent govt last time around. The test of this will come in the upcoming elections, if the same chors get elected again than yes we are horrible judges of people.

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Re: The Non-Celebration of Pakistan's Un-Independence!

Freedom is not given it is taken and we took it