Syeda Mazhar
Yet another public holiday is upon us. To us its a day to laze around without fully understand its significance. 23rd March, the day which changed the course of human events. Let us go back a few decades and imagine a world without Pakistan.
A newly married Muslim couple goes to an eatery to enjoy the culinary delights subcontinent has to offer. But they are stopped at the door sign which says, “Muslims and dogs aren’t served here.” Ashamed, of their social standing as nothing more than stray dogs, the young couple move back to their humble home. This is what a world without Pakistan would have been. Muslims treated miserably to feed the egos of the Hindu nationalists. But here we are, living in a country where we have posh dhabbas such as “Chai Shai” emerging to generations old “Barbecue Tonight”.
Taking a broader perspective on the consequences of Lahore Resolution. Back in the day, the areas which are now Pakistan and Bangladesh conveniently didn’t have “feasible climate” to be industrially developed. Major industries were set up in areas with better climatic conditions which was later found to be conveniently Hindu majority areas; take jute industry in Bengal as an example. But look where we are now, thanking God for the decision taken in 1940. As of now, the Pakistani region’s climate has improved significantly to be home to more than 30 industries. God forbid, had Pakistan still be intact with India, the climatic conditions would have been much worse.
Pakistan is currently dealing with a $46 billion project with China; CPEC. Of which the benefits lie on both sides of the table, Pakistan benefitting in terms of increased foreign investments which will shoot up its economy. By 2025, Pakistan will be an upper middle class country. $11 billion worth power will be generated but could it happen without the creation of Pakistan? With the current relationships between China and India, we can bet on absence of CPEC from the world. For the betterment of multiple countries’ economy, Pakistan separated from India at the right time. Had it not been for Pakistan Resolution, China might have been taking the longer oil routes to the Middle East.
Even though Lahore Resolution did not put the name “Pakistan” in text and was mainly for the minorities, the Muslim community has benefitted from this a lot. One major occasion being the Six-Day War in which the Pakistani pilots and planes took part; so much so they repeatedly took down Israeli planes. Now imagine nothing had happened on 23rd March 1940, the entire course of the war would have been very different. The support that the Muslim world get with Pakistan being the nuclear power is an entire different topic. Had the Lahore Resolution not passed, the Muslim bloc would have lacked a saviour; the Muslim bloc would have been trampled by outside forces.
For this world, Pakistan is God sent. Where nations, example Iraq and Iran, have succumbed in the name of terrorism, Pakistan is the only nation that stands even after such violence prevalent in the society. The resilient and humble people, called the Pakistanis, serve as the beacon of hope to the other countries facing proxy wars also known as terrorism. But did we give up? Has our economy shattered beyond repair? I believe the answer to be no. In the world where ISIS is running the show, Pakistan stands tall as the old wise sibling, who has been through the worst and emerged victorious. Our country shows the other citizens of the world how to deal with it, how it is possible to defeat terrorism. Pakistan has made its mark in the fields of sports, science and technology. Had Pakistan not been on the map of the world, many of the spots would have been left vacant for the other countries to fill: Largest earth filled dam, highest paved international road, largest irrigation system, biggest deep sea port. Altering the course of history, we have contributed to the downfall of the then superpower, Soviet Union, with the credit going to our intelligence agencies. The autonomy this country gives its people is reflected in their achievements. Would we have a Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy in a country where women’s primary goal in life is to marry and produce babies? Would we have a Abdus Salam where only the privileged are privy to the necessary equipment?
Pakistan was made out of sheer hard work and dedication. Jinnah almost single-handedly caused the creation of our beloved nation. Not only it gave the minorities to stand for their cause, it also altered the course of events throughout the world. From the aid extended towards the Muslim bloc to the friendliness shown to the emerging superpower, China, we have seen it all. At the point that we stand, we can only thank our ancestors for deciding on a separate nation. Because for all we know, we might be living a totally different (read: horrible) kind of life under Narendar Modi, shivers.
