Every year in August, we see the craze among Pakistani peo­ple for celebrating Independence Day with all their zest and zeal. Homes are decorated with jhandi­yan, large flags are displayed on rooftops, children wear green and white dresses with a badge of the Pakistani flag, and patriotic songs echo in every corner. But do we genuinely love our country, or is this day just a festival to be cele­brated? Do we not have any other duties for our homeland? Ask your­self these questions!

We all know that our country is in a fragile state right now, but who is re­sponsible for this? The government? The system? Or we, the people?

We, the citizens, are as responsi­ble as anyone else because togeth­er we make up the nation. If the nation has faults, the fault is in us because we constitute the nation. If the system is not working right, we are not doing things right be­cause we are part of it. If our insti­tutions are not as efficient as they should be, we are not efficient as we work in those institutions. All of us, on a very small, individu­al scale, are doing all those things that we find wrong. Someone is breaking traffic signal rules, some­one is cheating in their exams, someone is throwing trash on the streets instead of a dustbin, some­one is not parking their car in the parking zone, etc. Everyone of us is corrupt in their space. Why can’t we turn a new leaf in our country to change it for the better? If each one of us pledges to do our best to live as civilised and honest citi­zens should, things will surely im­prove, and our country will move towards betterment.

This Independence Day, let us make a commitment to relinquish one of our negative habits for the advancement of our nation. It will be a powerful step towards positive change. By consciously choosing to let go of behaviours that hinder progress, we contribute to a health­ier, more prosperous society. As we unite in this endeavour, we culti­vate a culture of responsibility and unity, demonstrating that personal growth can indeed lead to the bet­terment of our country as a whole.

NAEEMA AHMED,

Karachi.