Today is 25th December. So, what glittering, sparkling, inspiring and shining present-pack we have wrapped up to jubilate 144th birthday of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, we revere as Quaid-e-Azam (the great leader), the father of the nation-state of Pakistan.

What stock of our national triumphs, as a nation, we are proudly carrying to the founding father of the nation-family of our homeland? Certainly, lot to be proud of where we have spiralled up since September 11, 1948, the heartrending day ‘Babaye-qoum’ left us for the eternal abode. He would be watching us from the galaxy of eminent, illuminating, bold, visionary spirits; he being distinct one in that cluster of the fraternity of world leaders. Being a man of intelligence, wit, courage, humane brilliance and political vision, man of principles, our founding father would evaluate our performance-gift with the guiding vision, cardinal principles and political and social ideals he professed for his sons & daughters of coming generations. What is our scorecard?

Let’s do some self-reflection.

It would broaden Quaid’s smiles to know that how fervently Pakistan celebrates his birthday each year. He would recall stating his vision of Pakistan in Chittagong on March 26, 1948, and in Peshawar on April 12, 1948. His vision circumscribed a democratic state, an untheocratic one, which must reflect “the great ideals of human progress, liberty, equality, fraternity, and Islamic values of equality of manhood, fair-play, brotherhood and social justice…galvanising not only (as) the state but also as a unified and strong nation...founded on patriotism, and not provincialism, religious and sectarian diversions, or racism.”  He might ask how far we succeeded in manifesting his vision in true sense. He in fact would desire to stand tall because of his nation amongst other leaders-galaxy up there boasting of theirs.

Quaid-e-Azam is going to be all-proud of his nation to have grown from around 33.7 million in 1947 to 208 million in 2020, making us the 5th largest in the world. He might ask about his 42 million sons & daughters of East Pakistan; so, better have a good explanation for that - all those who chipped in their own fashion. Thing that may disturb him more would be our 154th ranking among 189 countries on UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) – indicating where we are struggling still in health, education, and standards of living, pollution and climate. More unnerving would be comparing Pakistan with other South Asian countries.

Jinnah’s joys would be visible to see us as a nuclear power, 6th largest military of the world, 33rd largest area (despite losing East Pakistan), 4th largest irrigated land, 1st in the sports and surgical industry, 5th largest human capital. Sadly, his joys are likely to fade to see we are still struggling with necessities - education, food, housing and health of his children in Pakistan. COVID-19 may be a pretext to round away as it is adding to the human predicament in the country. He may give a little credit to the government of handling it yet overall status of his people would sadden him. Don’t let him know about Pakistan’s poverty statistics spelled by the Ministry of Planning & Development to be 29.5% translating as 55 million people, which the UNDP and World Bank says rising to level of 40%.

Religious equality has been hallmark of Quaid’s vision; so, it is important we tell him that we have been doing well in these areas. History reminds us that on 23 June 1947, the Hindu Unionist party was supported by 88 seats of the All India Congress; and All-India Muslim League also got 88 seats and it did not have enough Muslim majority territories in Punjab. So, it were the three deciding votes of the Christians politicians, Mr Dewan Bhadar, SP Singa, C E Gibbon and Choudhry Fazal Elahi, which realised creation of West Punjab, Punjab of Pakistan.

Quaid-e-Azam was a candid and genuine advocate of gender equality and role of Pakistani women in national affairs and development, which make 49% of Pakistani population. Imagine if this half of the nation does not contribute to the socio-economic build-up of our nation. Quaid would be happy that to large extent his vision has manifested into affairs of the state. Today Pakistani women have excelled in every dimension of the life, and he would want to be physically here to further encourage and appreciate them; but the state and government officials symbolise his presence here within us. 

Much of the debate today is about the functions of bureaucracy and our Armed Forces, of whom we all are proud of. However, if we take this issue to him, the Quaid would reprimand us and question us that has not he chalked out his clear and cardinal principles for the role of these both entities.

Looking above from the heavens, rallies, sit-ins, belittling, cheap slogans, and undignified personal attacks amongst the political parties would not be appearing and sounding well to the founding father. He would be certainly unhappy to see how political rivalries are being used to term fellow Pakistanis as traitors. On June 15, 1948, talking at Quetta Municipality, he outlined the code of conduct for any government, “Representative governments and representative institutions... when people want to reduce them merely to channels of personal aggrandizement, they not only lose their value but earn and bad name. There are parties and parties, but the difference between them cannot be resolved by attacks on Party leaders. Nor can political views by altered by the threats of violence.”  

So, make a gift-pack wisely this year. And, we should aim to have a better one each succeeding year, truly glittering, sparkling, inspiring and shining. Do whatever it takes, as a government, as a bureaucrat, as a defender of the nation, as a student, as a jury, as a trader, as a Pakistani, in any form, to make Pakistan, as he envisioned. Follow his political ideals faith, unity and discipline, his values of social freedom, free-play, fraternity, his cornerstone governance principles of social justice, welfare and equality founded on Islamic ideals, and the democratic creeds embedded in the Constitution of Pakistan. Continue our reverence and honour towards him as father of the nation-state of Pakistan.