How patriotic are we as a nation? How much strength to do we have to give up our lives for our country? Our patriotism is limited to dining out on March 23 and August 14 but we live as an integrated nation all year round.

Since the last few years the nation witnessed an active progressive movement on a massive social scale- the fight for the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudary. It took the Lawyers’ Movement two years of strenuous struggle to freedom. The nation celebrated but the story is not that simple. Pakistan’s main issue was defined to the lawyer’s cause or the inflation and increasing poverty. Issue of Pakistan is much more serious. The people of Pakistan have never been too patriotic and that is what results in national crisis. If one argues people showed patriotism during Lawyer’s Movement then it is certainly not so. Most Pakistanis are trapped in personality-based issues regarding politicians and affiliate themselves as their allies and less to a larger Pakistan. The fight for justice is justified but what about the problems Pakistan faced before the judges were deposed? Was Pakistan showing any signs of peace then?

The concept of patriotism is much more on a larger scale. It includes constant progression of development on every level. Though collectivist as a kind of nation, Pakistan does not truly exhibit true unity and bonding. Pakistanis have to work hard on an individual level. They have to work their way up the human ascent. This individual effort has to be done selflessly and for the good of the country. The national character of Pakistan is at question. Who are we? People are more affiliated with their region and caste than their country. How many of us believe in sacrificing for our country? It sounds bookish and that’s the problem.

If America is believed to be a super power, it did what it takes to reach that level. Greater parts of Americans show patriotism all year round. The European countries are more patriotic than us. Despite religious differences, they are more open and true to who they are. Patriotism is not defined to theological reasons. It is pure love for your country. Why every obstacle to progress is termed as a religious issue? Unfortunately, the Islamic scholars too have not done much good to this country.  Go to any country abroad, Pakistanis are the first ones to acculturate into foreign culture. Speaking in accentuated English and dressing and mingling with foreign people is not a sin. But why forget your roots? Indians have excelled in every walk of life and shown their ‘indianism’ even while living abroad. They speak in the same Indian English accent all over the world. And they are proud of it. Talking on a majority scale, Pakistanis are not culturally bound. Come to think of it, how many families encourage their children in talking in Punjabi or sindhi or pushto? English language seems the only way to succession. Those families who push their children to speak solely English and bit of Urdu, they might make their children a successful person but not a worthy Pakistani. Life is more than earning money. It is more than the material world we see.

For the love of God, we have Iqbal. His glittering words on ‘khudi’ (self-realization) so shout out what Pakistanis need. Realization. People have to polish their potentials to contribute to development of Pakistan. We are blessed with such worthy words and yet so we live oblivious to our great poet’s words. Pakistan was made for us and it only us who will have to take care of it.

There is a reason to everything. Every Pakistani is born to give something to the country. There is a reason for every person’s existence. There is only one solution to battle out the problem this country is facing in order to get peace. The solution: love your country, love Pakistan.