Last Saturday (Feb 27), the nation quietly remembered the day when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) surprised India by shooting down its fighter jet. This action sent a clear message to the neighbouring India that any misadventure from its side would be met with a response it would never forget. That was the day I saw the spirit of unity and vibrance in our nation. However, overall, we have not been able to do justice to the hard-earned freedom we got in 1947. While many countries, after getting freedom from the colonial powers, have progressed and formed strong and stable economies, we have been marred with a poor leadership that failed to move the country in the right direction. For example, South Korea has emerged as the strongest economy in the world. On the other hand, Pakistan has failed to capitalise on the momentum and spirit of freedom. I remember during the days of the freedom movement, no matter how hard life was, we would find time and energy to participate in political events. I used to walk five miles to my school and would return to help my parents with chores such as grazing animals and fetching water, but still found time and energy to attend political rallies held by the Muslim League. We were so charged up to imagine that we would soon have a country of our own. Unfortunately, the selfish and power-hungry leaders, who grabbed the reins of the country after the demise of the Quaid, failed to channel that energy of the people and guide the country in the right direction.
Their selfish behaviour over the past seventy years has disappointed a majority of the people. Having lost all hope, people have now given up and are not willing to work for the country. They, like their leaders, wish for shortcuts to success and want everything to be presented in a platter. I wish and pray that our leaders realise that they need to be the role models for the new generation and motivate them to work hard to achieve success. Everyone must work hard to transform the country into a strong and vibrant economy.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
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