Jinnah’s Pakistan does exist

“Terrorism, target killings, rape, corruption and dishonesty – what else is there in Pakistan?”

Comments like these are not new to Pakistanis. Coming across tragedy and despair almost every day, it becomes hard for people to see anything but negativity here.

A large number of people have already fled the country and most have started believing that the conception of Pakistan itself was a big mistake. Many are of the view that staying here would mean jeopardising the future of their coming generations as well.

While some of it might be true, this is not what Pakistan is all about.

In order to set the record straight, I have decided to compile a brief photo-blog on what Pakistan truly stands for and what it is capable of becoming. Let me present to you a Pakistan which is full of happiness, hope, colours, security, love, unity, passion and, above all, the ability to strive and carry on. A Pakistan that was envisioned by Jinnah. This is a Pakistan that is livelier than what most of us think, and on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birthday, I think all of us need to be reminded about why we have to keep on fighting for this country – for our country.

1) We take care of our elders. Their respect and love gives us strength to carry on.

Photo: Humans of Karachi Facebook Page

2) Every day, hundreds of hungry and poor people are fed free of cost in every city.

Photo: AFP

3) Our youngsters focus on maintaining our cities and catering to the beauty of our streets.

Photo: IBA Facebook Page

4) Following the “education for all” ideal, almost every child in Pakistan goes to school, and becomes a force of light.

Photo: AFP

5) We are capable of proving our merit in every field of life.



6) In Pakistan, we have multiple organisations that focus entirely on helping and aiding the poor.

Photo: Publicity

7) A large number of Pakistanis pay tribute to their security forces and stand side-by-side with them, for better or for worse.

Photo: Athar Khan/Express

8) Our military is not just limited to our borders. They are ready to protect us in any situation, in the face of any adversity.

Photo: AFP

9) Irrespective of cast, creed, sex or religion, we try to welcome our heroes with open arms.

Photo: AFP

10) We share each others pain.

Photo: Reuters

11) And celebrate each others gain.

Photo: AFP

12) Every year, we join together in singing the national anthem. We are proud to stand under one flag.

Photo: Reuters

13) And why is that? Because we are Pakistanis. And this is our country.

Photo: File

Every nation has its fair share of problems and worries, but that doesn’t mean we leave this beautiful country to rot. We need to stand up for it, and do something. Merely regurgitating negative views won’t do us any good. If we stand together, we can easily do away with all our issues. It is time that we open our eyes to the real problems around us and constructively focus on eliminating them. We need to face this reality, instead of running away to other countries. The grass always seems greener on the other side, but this is your nation. And this is where you’re needed.

Therefore, on his birthday, let’s make a pact to strive towards building Pakistan into a country that Jinnah had envisioned. Let’s vow to work towards fixing this country and stop those who are out to ruin it. So, while everyone else may have a reason to complain about Pakistan, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jinnah for making Pakistan. As hard as it may seem for some to believe, we still have hope.

So, Happy Birthday, Quaid-e-Azam. Thank you, Jinnah.

Read the Urdu version of this blog appeared here.