Pakistanis are unique people. Many of you will be thinking about two things at the moment: Pakistanis and unique Pakistanis. If you aren't, do it for a bit.

Pakistan is, in fact, a unique country with a unique socio-political fabric based upon certain unique values---and probably with a flavor of divine wisdom---in the modern world. A modern world in which many unequivocally question the very idea of modernity. Pakistanis too do it but largely without knowing and examining anything modern in nature or scope.

We can present Pakistani society’s uniqueness in a way which may not hurt anyone---but will definitely compel people to think again. Again. And, again.

A country where bullets are the norm of the day but red-roses sully the sheen of its unique character---or of a moral order--- which is simply matchless for those who create, enforce and interpret it.

A country where a girl and a boy can’t sit together, can’t take tea or have lunch together, or walk together at their college canteen because it is an undesirable trend set by the imperialistic West. Mixing of girls and boys will not only damage our cultural norms, it will also enslave us. And slavery is, quite straightforwardly speaking, absolutely undesirable for a free nation like us. Aren’t you caught by surprised by this? Probably.

A country where asking question in classrooms is tantamount to insulting an elder. Those who question much are actually those who deserve to be bashed and snubbed.

We proudly claim that our culture believes in a complete submission without any question. Those who question are idiots, morbid deviants and a threat to our great civilization; followers of unruly, materialistic West.

A country where women’s dress matters more than those who have nothing to cover up their naked bodies. Courts pass orders for women to wear ‘decent’ clothing or to bar young couples on Valentine’s Day, but shy away from passing an order to give cloths and proper food to the children shuffling in dark alleys of Lahore and Karachi.

A country where dating a beautiful young girl who usually wears jeans and tights is unquestioningly unjustified and at the same time to kill one’s own sister for the same ‘sin’ is a sad yet justifiable act.

A country where lies are beautifully presented to school going kids in order to create a sense of nationalism and superiority for ideological sustainability. Invaders and expansionists are portrayed in a way as if they were the champions of peace and stability across the globe. In actuality, a student at college or university learns things are quite different from what he/she had learnt thus far. Even an average student with a functional mind once in his/her whole life thinks just like that--- our history; lies, blood, invasions, intellectual dishonesty and what else? Probably nothing. Nothing at all.

A country where almost every second person talks about religion. All talks in the town are started and ended in the name of religion. All knowledge and its credibility and even validity is determined through religion. Politics, history, art, literature and even science have been religionised so morbidly by the religious elite and common people. Yet sad to mention none of them actually follows the religion. People die in its name but feel and show reluctance to follow it. Why? I don’t really have good reasons to give.

A country where subjectivism, narcissism, perfectionism, irrationalism, political obstructionism and highly fabricated and unfounded moral philosophies of life exist, can be termed as nothing but unique on the map of the world.

A country where everything taught at the campus is not practiced. Nor is it believed to be true.

Being unique in an uncountable number of people is a good thing but being unique in a way which may cause embarrassment is the worst thing one can have in his/her whole life.

We want to maintain our individuality in an interconnected modern world through our irrationality and stupidities which is simply not possible.

It is only through education, positivity, peace, stability, rationality and the idea of coexistence that we can be a part of this global human society, and maintain our identity as to who we are. 

Let’s be clear about one thing that our outdated and myopic policies whether they are about politics or religion are no more valid in this world. Intellectual dishonesty, false sense of superiority, expansionist political philosophies and hollow social philosophy or life are the things the modern world has buried a long time ago.

This is high time for us, a unique nation, to think about what we want, and what we can have. Above all we need to be very very clear about ourselves; who we are? Peace mongers with rational thinking or giddy brigades with impractical social and political philosophies?

The choice is ours.