Daily Times

Pakistan is in trouble today. Like never before. The economic meltdown has a nightmare scenario, apparently cratered irreparably. The already scarred foreign policy has taken the form of an amateurish comedy of errors staged by the myopic. The infrastructure is in a horrifying freefall. Unemployment, power outages, unfettered inflation, badly-structured educational and health systems, breakdown of law and order, ever-widening chasm between the haves and the have-nots, and the unavailability of justice to the common man — name the malaise and Pakistan is suffering from it. There is rampant corruption here, and not merely financial corruption. It is a corruption of the attitude of public service. The fragile democracy, which appeared like a miraculous beast in a forest clearing, seems hell-bent on self-destruction and that too in the fast-forward mode. Pakistan is headed for more trouble. And it is about time it paused and took a hard long look at the reality. It is time to plan. To avert even bigger, even worse catastrophes. And to rethink what it means to be a society. Trying to normalise the freak show that has become the face of Pakistan to the jeering eyes of the world is now part of the job of being a Pakistani. Let there be a return to competence. Let the reclamation process begin. Let’s initiate the process of putting our country together — one piece at a time. Let’s do our bit, and let’s all build — one brick at a time. Let’s join hands to rediscover the real Pakistan, created by our beloved Mr Jinnah, among the debris of wrecks piled up by our inefficient and irresponsible leaders since his demise. Let’s work on a better tomorrow. And keep on working until we change the grotesque truth into a shining reflection. Of our better selves, of our brighter visions, of our cleaner images, of our real capabilities, of our dormant ideals, of our untapped potentials, of our unutilised geniuses, of our comatose souls awakening with a new gusto — and meanwhile as we dream, plan, conceptualise, put into action and work tirelessly, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the ones who are already doing all that. It is time to salute the ones who believe and do. The unsung heroes. The heroes who make Pakistan beautiful — who make us hopeful of an even lovelier Pakistan someday.

Let’s honour the huge, selfless sacrifice of our Salala Shaheeds (martyrs). The 24 brave young men who died, guarding valiantly our mountainous border. Attacked one cold night, they stood their ground bravely, with no thought of hiding from the non-stop firing of the NATO helicopters. As I write this with unshed tears blurring my vision, I salute the valiant Major Mujahid Ali of Larkana and Captain Usman Ali from Sahiwal who died alongside the soldiers in their command; the unknown soldiers who will be known for their bravery always. Whether it was Sepahi Amjad Khursheed from Bhimber, Sepahi Rizwan Abbas from Chakwal, LNK Ghulam Raza from Sargodha, or N K Mohammed Shakeel Khan from Poonch, each one proved to be a symbol of unconditional courage and unlimited resilience that is the insignia of those who remain the faceless backbone of our forces. They die for us and they go unrecognised by us. Today we stand with our heads bowed in salutation to our Shaheeds.

Let’s celebrate one of the most renowned philanthropists in the world — our very own Abdul Sattar Edhi. Since 1951 this unassuming man has helped people — tirelessly, selflessly. Edhi Foundation being the world’s largest ambulance service and charity makes its founder one of the few role models many dream of being and only a few ever become. Prime Minister Gilani’s recommendation of a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is just a small acknowledgment of this modern day saint’s decades of social work, which touched millions. Here is to Pakistan’s biggest hero — Edhi Sir, may you keep doing what you do and may our lives be a whole lot better just because we have you with us.

Let’s celebrate Malala Yousafzai of Gulkada, Swat, and her brilliant, sparkling spirit. The 14-year-old Malala — reminiscent of Anne Frank of the 1940s — assuming the pseudonym Gul Makai wrote a diary for years for BBC Urdu, highlighting the Swati girls’ right to education during the Talibanisation of Swat. Nominated for the International Peace Prize for Children, the young Malala, who aspires to be a politician, is a beacon for all those who raise their voices against suppression and injustice. The nation is proud of you our little girl, may you become bigger than your dreams. Then there is Sitara Akbar from the small town of Chiniot, Punjab. The 11-year-old stunned the world by becoming the youngest person ever to take O-Level English, Science and Mathematics examinations and passing with flying colours. Sitara, who shone like her name, proved that age, background, region bore no relevance to hard work, intelligence and dedication of a young mind, reiterating that if she could do it, there is nothing the Pakistani youth could not dream of and achieve. Congratulations Sitara, we are proud of you.

Let’s celebrate the memory of the fearless journalist Saleem Shahzad who was killed in May 2011 for speaking up about things that made the ones he wrote about, investigated and uncovered too uncomfortable to leave him alone — or alive. Terrorism in the region was his principal subject; he was even imprisoned by the Taliban for several days. Here’s to the one who stood for truth and died for it. Ironically, the day his dead body was discovered is the birth-date of the slain Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer. The 26th governor of the biggest province of Pakistan, Taseer was shot several times at point-blank range by one of his guards in reaction to his stance against the blasphemy laws on January 4, 2011, in Islamabad. The laws should be rectified and the death sentence of a Christian woman should be reviewed. The outspoken politician dared to speak up and was killed. May their souls rest in peace and may there be more among us who speak up, notwithstanding the price.

Let’s celebrate the genius of Mohammed Hanif and his masterpiece, Our Lady of Alice Bhatti. The writer of the brilliant novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, outshone himself with his new book. Arguably the best English language writer of his generation, he has achieved an unheard of serious literary stature. A mesmerising artist who adapts the language to enhance his wizardry of narration and story-telling, Hanif is the true hero for all those who love the written word. Here is to our beloved writer — we await your next book and we take pride in your work.

Let’s celebrate the magnificent cinematic achievements of Shoaib Mansoor, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Adnan Ahmed. Mansoor wooed filmgoers all over the world with his story of Zainab and her six siblings in ‘Bol’. Well written, well directed, well acted, the movie proved that the aesthetic and commercial could co-exist if executed properly. The 33-year-old documentary maker from Karachi, Chinoy, won an International Emmy in 2010 for her documentary on the Taliban. In 2011, in collaboration with Daniel Junge, her new documentary ‘Saving Face’ on the acid victims in Pakistan, to be aired on HBO next year, has been shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the ‘Best documentary Short subject category’. ‘Heal’, by Adnan Ahmed, a supernatural short film set between Afghanistan and Pakistan won the ‘Best Science Fiction/Fantasy film Award’ at the International Independent Film Festival in California. And not to forget the highly acclaimed book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, being made into a movie by the noted filmmaker Mira Nair. Three cheers to our remarkable visionaries and their wonderful creations.

Let’s celebrate our sporting wunderkinds. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, who with his Indian partner won the BNP Masters Paris championship 2011, and who to date, remains the only Pakistani to reach the final of a Tennis Grand Slam. His unique partnership with Rohan Bopanna opened a new door of friendship between the two hostile neighbours. Haq, 31, was nominated for the Stephen Edberg Sportsmanship Award along with names like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. The amazing Saeed Ajmal gained the number one ranking among the ODI bowlers. He also got 45 Test wickets in 2011. The tarnished reputation of our cricket team brightened because of Ajmal, strengthening our tremendous bowling side further. May these sportsmen shine and make Pakistan proud always.

Long live our heroes. May they shine always. And may there be more like them.

The writer can be reached at mehrt2000@gmail.com