Pakistan: A Promise, Forgotten — But Not Lost
By: Qalbun Yaqzaan | قلبٌ يقظان — A heart that can no longer sleep
14th August: A Reflection from a Wounded, Hopeful Heart
I am writing not just to mark another 14th August. I am writing as someone carrying the pain of what Pakistan was meant to be, and the weight of what it has become.
Pakistan wasn’t carved out on a map for nationalism. It wasn’t built for race, or power, or to become another piece in a global chess game. It was born with a dream: “Pakistan ka matlab kya? La ilaha illallah.”
A land where Muslims could live freely under the shadow of Tawheed — not just in ritual, but in justice, dignity, and unity. And yet today, we are strangers in our own soil.
The Storm We Live In
For years, we have watched Muslim nations fall — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Palestine… and yes, Pakistan too. We have been destabilized, misled, and manipulated, not just by outsiders, but by those among us who traded our sovereignty for survival packages and handshakes.
We lost our compass long before we lost our credibility.
We are plagued by inflation, injustice, and apathy. Our scholars whisper. Our politicians bow. Our institutions fail. And our people… they try to survive another day. But survival is not living.
The Common Man Carries the Burden
Does our blood hold any value even within our own country? We take loans from IMF, China, Saudi Arabia, and others — yet the common man cries for basic food. Inflation crushes families. Electricity bills are suffocating. Homes are unaffordable.
The elite protect each other. But who protects the person earning with honesty, living simply, raising their children with dignity?
The Decay of Intellect and Identity – The Collapse of Society
Our education system is producing cowards — comfort-seeking, confused, and detached from their roots. Speaking English is seen as status. Urdu is seen as shame. But even janitors in the West speak English — it’s their language. Why are we so apologetic for being Pakistani?
Where is the dignity of this Ummah?
A Nation in Crisis — And Yet, Not Without Hope
We have every reason to have failed — yet Allah’s hand has kept this nation standing. That alone is proof: He is not done with us yet. This land still breathes with the du’as of our elders, the barakah of sacrifice, and the untapped potential of its youth.
What Can We Do?
- Find a mentor. Seek people who embody integrity, knowledge, and action.
- Don’t follow a deen of convenience. Truth requires sacrifice.
- Raise children with purpose — teach them that they are Muslims before anything else.
- Introduce them to real heroes: scholars, martyrs, thinkers, reformers.
- Restore respect for Urdu and local heritage.
- Hold yourself accountable before blaming others.
- Build unity in your circles and speak up for truth.
- Make du’a — it is the weapon of the believer.
This 14th August, Don’t Just Wear Green — Feel It.
The flag is not just fabric. It’s a trust. Let’s stop waving it blindly and start carrying it with honour. Because if we do not rise now, we risk becoming the generation that buried a promise.
“Pakistan ka matlab kya? La ilaha illallah.”
A Prayer to End With
May Allah guide us, forgive us, and make us brave. May He awaken our hearts and unite our divided ranks. May Allah guide our leaders and send His divine help to the oppressed. May we raise a generation of character, not comfort. Of vision, not vanity. May we never again trade truth for silence, or sleep through a genocide. Ameen.
