A Very Happy Independence Day!

Firstly, I would like to wish every Pakistani around the globe, a very happy and safe independence day! On this day, all Pakistanis should hold hands and rejoice the freedom that we have today, which our forefathers ensured for us through immense struggle. Liberty was not granted to us, nor did anyone help us achieve it. Just as the European settlers in America, and the natives of many nations around the world fought the British colonialists, the freedom fighters in India led a war of independence against their occupiers too. In 1857, the war of independence was the battle of the final frontier, which paved the path for a more political and diplomatic process that would lead towards an independent India.

However, during the late 1930s, the Muslim League party feared the likely prospect of being under-represented in Indian politics due to the extremely polarized ratio of Muslims to Hindus. At the time, the Hindus were a majority by far, and even today, if one were to combine the entire Muslim population of India and Pakistan on one side and the Hindu population of both nations on the other, the gap is still enormous.

The idea of an Independent Muslim state owes its origin to two major events. The first such event was the presedential address held by Allama Iqbal, on the 29th of December, 1930, which called for an independent nation for the Muslims of India. The second call for such an act was the adoption of the "Lahore Resolution" in 1940, which used the "Two Nation Theory" as its foundation.

The Lahore Resolution, a significant factor in the independence of Pakistan, is a little-known event. Essentially, it was this day that founded the grounds for the creation of a new state for the Muslims of India. Here, Jinnah addressed the All-India Muslim league and rebuked the Congress and the nationalistic Muslims of India. He questioned and examined the defeat of the All-India Muslim league in the general elections of 1937, even in areas that were populated with a Muslim majority. It was becoming apparent that over the course of time, the Muslims of India would slowly be repressed and their fate would be that of any other minority.

The Lahore Resolution was quickly amended by the subject committe of the All-India Muslim League, and drafted in on the 23rd of March, 1940. This day is of extreme significance to the Pakistanis today, as it was possibly the first major movement that forged the idea of the existence of Pakistan as we have it today, in the depths of history. The resolution read as follows:

"No constitutional plan would be workable or acceptable to the Muslims unless geographical contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary. That the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in majority as in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in the units and in the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights of the minorities, with their consultation. Arrangements thus should be made for the security of Muslims where they were in a minority".

On August 14th, 1947, a sovreign nation was carved out of the historic subcontinental India. Mohammad Ali Jinnah had a dream, and we are the children of this dream. It is incumbent upon us, to fulfill this dream through hard work, unity, education, tolerance, and most of all, remember that we are all related to each other by the bonds of nationalism. We shall never break this bond, rather, seek to reinforce it by not only celebrating our freedom, but by acting upon it. I wish all the Pakistani brothers and sisters, sons and daugthers, a very Happy Independence day! Pakistan, Pa'indabad.