Amna Razzaq
T he roots of the struggle for independence of British India can be traced back to the uprising of 1857 which started off as a rebellion of the British East India Company soldiers but soon took the shape of a freedom struggle and caused a major threat to Company Raj (Company Rule) in an undivided India. Leaders such as Sir Syed Ahmed Khan worked tirelessly for the political, social and economic uplifting of Muslims that comprised of 25 to 30 percent of the total population of British India. In a Muslim League annual session in 1930, Muhammad Iqbal, a poet and philosopher, put forward the ideal of Muslims being a separate nation. Iqbal is accredited for weaving the Two-Nation theory, an ideology that eventually made the creation of Pakistan possible. The Lahore Resolution (Qarardad-e-Lahore)also known as the Pakistan Resolution, was a formal political statement adopted by the All India Muslim League at the occasion of its three-day general session on 22–24 March 1940 at Minto Park (now Iqbal Park), Lahore. The resolution called for greater Muslim autonomy in British India and has been largely interpreted as a demand for a separate Muslim state. The idea of separate state for Indian Muslims was first suggested by Muhammad Iqbal in 1930 and the name of Pakistan was proposed by Choudhary Rahmat Ali in his Pakistan Declaration pamphlet in 1933. Initially, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders were in favor of Hindu-Muslim unity, but the volatile political climate and religious hostilities of the 1930s made the idea more appealing. In his speech, Jinnah criticized the Indian National Congress and the nationalist Muslims, and espoused the Two-Nation Theory and the reasons for the demand for separate Muslim homelands. Sikandar Hayat Khan, the Chief Minister of the Punjab, drafted the original resolution, but disavowed the final version, which followed endless redrafting by the Subject Committee of the Muslim League. The text unambiguously rejected the concept of a “United India” because of increasing inter-communal violence and recommended the creation of an independent Muslim state. The resolution was moved in the general session by A.K. Fazlul Huq, Chief Minister of Bengal and was supported seconded by several leaders. The principle text of the Lahore Resolution was passed on 24 March 1940. In 1941 it became part of the Muslim League’s constitution. By 1946, it formed the basis for the struggle of the Muslim League for a separate Muslim state. But unfortunately our country is plunged into menace of terrorism which has worst affected the internal security, tourism, and foreign investment. Various military operations and raids have been launched in recent past to tackle the terrorist activities. Operation Zarb e Azb is one of the masterstroke taken by our civil military leadership so as to curb terrorism. And, Pakistan’s security forces have been facing a different war against the enemy which employs subversive activities of various kinds which also include internal and external challenges. Pakistan is in the state of new war, being waged by the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies against terrorists. In this regard, our Armed Forces have successfully obtained their objectives in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) including other tribal agencies through military operation Zarb-e-Azb against the terrorists who had challenged the writ of the state, and had frightened the entire nation by their terror-acts. In Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi and other parts of the country including FATA our security forces and law-enforcing agencies have restored peace, after coping with the militants, foreign agents and criminals. After one year, Operation Zarb-e-Azb is heading towards its last juncture achieving success and eliminating terrorism. However, a possible threat that looms is the reemergence of the Terrorist outfits that slipped the Khost province of Afghanistan that was left unmanned for two weeks despite requests to the Afghan establishment by Pakistan but the Pakistan armed forces are vigilant and determined to root out terrorism from their mother land. Meanwhile, the government must pay heed to de-radicalization and reintegration of Pakistani youth by creating employment opportunities for them and reforming the role of madrassas. However, the operation itself has had a striking impact in bringing down assaults and devastating militant infrastructure in NWA. Nonetheless, there has been one development this year that has changed the scenario a great deal. Operation Zarb-e-Azb has also caused frustration and indigestion in India. Modi and his RSS cohorts can foresee that Pakistan has crossed the Rubicon of the fight against terror and the RAW-sponsored terrorist network is being dismantled with political resolve and hard-hitting military instrument. The recent surrender of angry Baloch insurgents and their acknowledgement that they were being take for a ride by RAW and its surrogates within and outside Balochistan is the windfall of the new environment being shaped under the able leadership of Gen Raheel Sharif. Credit must also go to mature and patient political leadership of Baluchistan (Dr Malik and his team) who has tirelessly worked for the cause of Baluchistan and Pakistan. Pakistan’s standing in the global community has also improved. Despite heavy odds, the Pakistan Army is about to successfully conclude the first phase of its war against terrorists which is being discussed in the international security community and academia as a model of asymmetric warfare. Another windfall of Operation Zarb-e-Azb is the battle hardening of the military and grooming of the nation at large in surviving the gigantic asymmetric war with resilience and honour. Our roads and roundabouts (named after the martyrs from the military and other LEAs) in all major cities are testaments of this glorious war and the sacrifices that this nation has endured in the last decade. There is no graveyard in a city or village which is without the graves of these sons of the soil, whether civilian or military. Externally, Pak Army and Rangers have boldly been responding to India’s unprovoked firing at the Line of Control in Kashmir including Working Boundary in Sialkot and other sectors. While, the fundamentalist party BJP led by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda. They leave no stone unturned in distorting Pakistan’s image. It is mentionable that in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam, the Constitution of 1973 protects the real rights and interest of minorities, living in Pakistan. While, India which claims an arch secular state has surprised the world because of continued attacks on other minority groups, especially Christians, Muslims and Sikhs—and events of forced conversion of Christians and Muslims into Hindus. Unlike India, where religious minorities are being targeted by the Hindu fundamentalist outfits like the ruling party BJP, RSS, Shiv Sena etc., all the minorities such as Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Buddhists enjoy fundamental rights in Pakistan, including all other rights of citizenry in Pakistan. It is also worth mentioning that tourist activities have been restored to greater extent. Similarly foreign investment has also been restored consequently.
The Pakistan day reminds us that we are the potential people to make Pakistan and we are the same who will make it developed. If our prevailing systems, social, economic, political and administrative ones, function reasonably, efficiently and effectively no harm can come to Pakistan and we will be able to promote soft image of the country. The role of media in building a positive Pakistani Brand is pivotal. A major undertaking of this organization should be to approach the media for support in terms of creating balance and context in the news, ensuring that stories about ordinary Pakistanis doing extraordinary things are profiled. This is the most important part of the campaign as the real stories that emanate from Pakistan should be told with a simple honesty that builds credibility. The media must be asked to help build a better, positive Pakistan and to use the power it wields carefully in this regard. The media should also be asked to encourage people to reflect on what they can be proud of as country and as people. The organization must develop themes in this regard and encourage the media to use them. This image building exercise cannot be undertaken overnight. It has to be a sustained projection over a prolonged period. The organization created to do so should be given the resources and the time to conceive, execute, coordinate and monitor this gigantic undertaking. In a nutshell, the nation has written its history with the blood of its sons and daughters. Within the series of undertakings in this war for Pakistan’s future, Operation Zarb-e-Azb has become a milestone and beacon of hope for our future generations.
