Selfless Unity: Essence of the Pakistan Day

Every year, the people of Pakistan celebrate the 23rd of March as Pakistan Day, with great enthusiasm and zeal. But, this time, this very day has come at a time when Pakistan is facing multi-faceted internal and external challenges, which are worrying all the citizens.

It was due to the selfless practical unity among the Muslims under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that Pakistan became a tangible reality on August 14, 1947. But, that unity started declining after passing through various crises, and the result was separation of East Pakistan in 1971, and its gaining independence as Bangladesh, as India manipulated differences between East Pakistan and West Pakistan.

Now, more than 19 months have passed. But, Indian fanatic government led by the extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued military lockdown in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

In this regard, Modi-led government unilaterally abrogated the special status of Indian-Occupied Kashmir on 5 August 2019 when Indian Parliament revoked Articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution. The act split Indian-Occupied Kashmir into two territories to be ruled directly by New Delhi. The purpose was to turn the Muslim majority into a minority.

Indian fanatic rulers are also escalating tensions with Pakistan to divert attention from the drastic situation of Indian-Occupied Kashmir and continued shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir by violating the ceasefire agreement of 2003 in relation to the Line of Control (LoC).

So, externally, Pakistan’s armed forces had been boldly responding to India’s unprovoked firing at the LoC.

Recently, the Directors General of Military Operations of Pakistan and India have agreed to strictly observe the 2003 ceasefire agreement at LoC and other sectors, including Working Boundary from the midnight of February 24 and 25, this year.

Notably, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the extremist ruling party BJP, had got a landslide victory in the Indian general elections 2014 and 2019. During the election campaigns, the Hindu majority was mobilized on ‘hate Muslim’ slogans and ‘anti-Pakistan’ jargon. Hence, Modi continues anti-Muslim policies. So, he is unpredictable and can, again, take a U-turn, which could result in violation of the recent ceasefire agreement, as the Indian past record also shows.

Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has repeatedly stated that in order to divert attention from various internal crises and the border dispute with China, New Delhi can arrange another Pulwama-type false flag terror attack in Indian-Occupied Kashmir to justify a military adventure against Pakistan.

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan have frequently said that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully ready to meet any Indian prospective aggression.

Internally, Pakistan’s armed forces and country’s primarily intelligence agency ISI have successfully broken the back of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in the Balochistan province and Karachi, as well as other vulnerable regions.

Despite it, in the recent past, terrorist attacks particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Balochistan which is central point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) show that the CIA-led Indian RAW, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security and Israeli Mossad are destabilising Pakistan and want to damage the CPEC project which is part of China’s OBOR or BRI, as the US and India have already opposed this project.

However, Pakistan’s armed forces; particularly the Army, are facing multiple threats of grave nature externally and internally.

And security agencies have been coping with a different war, as the enemy employs subversive activities of various kinds which include both internal and external crises. In this context, General Bajwa has repeatedly stated that Pakistan is facing the challenge of hybrid war.

Pakistan is also facing grave crises and problems like corruption, soaring prices, energy-shortage, unemployment, crimes, lack of health facilities, and dependence upon the US-led developed countries, IMF and World Bank for financial aid.

Meanwhile, the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic has affected Pakistan in wake of the country’s fragile economy. In this connection, civil and army institutions are implementing comprehensive plans for treatment of the patients and to further stop the spread of this novel virus.

But, by ignoring all these problems, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) launched a movement to topple the government of PTI led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, though a rift has been created among the leaders of PDM, who postponed the March 26 long march to Islamabad.

Nevertheless, the 23rd of March 1940 was a watershed in the history of the Subcontinent, when the All India Muslim League passed the resolution in Lahore for the creation of an independent state. Now, it is popularly called the Pakistan Resolution.

Earlier, in his address to the Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930, the idea of a homeland for Muslims in their majority areas had been envisioned by the poet Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, and had become the aspiration of Indian Muslims.

In fact, the British colonialists in connivance with majority Hindu population had manipulated and targeted Muslims through every possible way. In that background, Muslims started struggle for a separate state.

Prior to the Lahore session of Muslim League, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had specified to this historical congregation of the Muslims, the watch-words of ‘Faith, Unity and Discipline’ which were not only necessary for waging the battle for an independent homeland, but also for present Pakistan.

Nonetheless, the government, the opposition leaders, including all other segments of society must act upon the essence of the Pakistan Day by showing selfless national unity which is very necessary to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises and to meet the Indian war-mongering designs.