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Revival of Unity, Faith, Discipline

Revival of Unity, Faith, Discipline
Published On: 31-Jul-2021
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Let me confess at the very outset that the onerous task of writing this piece as an Independence Day feature should not have been shouldered by me because my love for and dedication to my country, although firmly rooted within, still have a long way to go for determining if they would stand the test of time or not. Perhaps, I can be one of those many souls whose services to the state and its citizens are in no need of recognition. Or, maybe I shall be of those who serve the nation in anonymity. In either case, as God is my witness, I, as an individual owe my national, social and cultural identity to this country, vow to serve my nation in my humble capacities. As the poet says: Ishq o azadi bahar e zeest ka saman hai/ Ishq miri zindagi, azadi mira iman hai/ Ishq pe kr du fida mai apni sari zindgi/ Aur azadi par mera ishq bhi qurban hai (Love and freedom are the resources of a joyful life. Love is my life and freedom is my faith. I can sacrifice all my life for the sake of love. But for the sake of freedom, I can even sacrifice my love).

This sense of duty is entrenched in the origins of my country on the basis of two-nation theory and a distinct Muslim character of the majority population. Therefore, it is the right time to reflect and analyze if we, Pakistanis, have lived up to our glorious founding Father’s motto of Unity. Faith. Discipline. or not, if we have embodied the vision of the Poet of the East, or not, if we have done justice to our country’s basis, or not, for it appears to me that anything founded on such great ideals deserves one’s sincerest dedication and life-long labor rather than lackluster attitude and half-hearted efforts.

Upon analysis of the past seventy-four years, I see various incidents of sacrifice, courage, dedication, honesty, hope, brilliance, resilience and dignity. Paradoxically, there are also numerous incidents of depravity, corruption, debauchery, nepotism, injustice, abuse, inefficiency, dishonesty, inanity and, to cap it all, betrayal. In current times, the bad seems to outweigh the good and it is high time we pay heed to the alarm bells of cyclic mistakes in our history and national character to avoid an irreversible collision into the iceberg of perpetual doom.

Let me draw an analogy here. Think of Pakistan as a living, breathing and evolving soul. Here, I will borrow a reference from the first and major source of law in Islam, that is, the Holy Quran, because the seed of two-nation theory which was sown in the foundation of this nation has yet to be transformed into a fruitful tree through pragmatist and progressive action. In the first ten verses of the 91st Surah Ash Shams (The Sun), God mentions that each human soul is endowed with the discernment of right and wrong and human choices and actions have the capacity to determine one’s fate. Likewise, the analogic soul of Pakistan is adorned with many bright chapters in our history as well as many wounds on the face of our nation. If we pay attention to what history has taught us about our own national character, then we must mix this useful knowledge with practical action and utilize our indigenous resources appropriately and efficiently to the maximum potential without being lazy and reliant on external help so that success is our fate. But if we are dunces who do not learn from history and fail to adapt to the needs of present times, then we will keep eating away at our roots to our own detriment and destruction. The country has had enough martyrs. Now, it needs ghazis in all spheres of public and private life who live meaningful lives for Pakistan.

I see the future of Pakistan as very, very, very bright if and only if our policies and actions are correctly aligned with the true essence of Islam. And for that, we need to remember that Islam is not just a theory. It is a practical lived experience which started from the word “Iqra” (read). The message of Muhammad (P.B.U.H) reformed and overhauled the Meccan society through a bottom-up approach instead of a top-down approach. That message, legal framework and implementation has reverberations for all times to come. Now, we need a cognitive and moral re-structuring of the nation for Pakistan’s prosperity. No amount of laws or external rebukes will transform us if we do not have this change from within. This can be done by making realistic policies involving the input of all stakeholders and having smooth and fast inter-institutional communication and deliverance.

This would require unity. We can take a leaf out of history by recalling that the two-nation theory existed long before the Quaid. It was his magnetic personality that revived it through the rallying call of “Unity, Faith, Discipline” for the Muslims of India who were innumerably divided into social, political and religious groups at the time. Today, if we have to move forward then we must revive that spirit to unify our diverse masses, otherwise we may not achieve our goal. Secondly, national unity must be maintained by practicing real democracy which means that the minorities are fully protected, not demonized, and ostracized. Thirdly, discipline should be ingrained in all institutions by improving governance, especially justice. 

In short, if we synchronize hope with right action, then there will be resounding reassurance in our joyful cries of “Long Live Pakistan!”

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