Pakistan is rarely a place where hope and resilience shine through. It is often a country that breaks your spirit, telling you that the forces of evil and darkness arrayed against you are too powerful, urging you to abandon hope, seek a quiet life, and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Yet, it is precisely under these oppressive conditions that the most beautiful uprisings emerge. Yesterday, in Umerkot, Pakistan witnessed such a moment of awakening. Amidst the filth of extremist ideology and murderous politics, a community came together to stand for the right to life, justice, and human dignity.

The brutal killing of Dr. Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, accused of blasphemy, inside a Umerkot police station, followed by a mob setting fire to his body in the presence of law enforcement, has left a deep scar on the people of Umerkot. While there has been a shocking silence from the nation’s leaders, judiciary, armed forces, and especially law enforcement, it is the people of Umerkot who have risen against the monsters spreading this vile ideology.

When the state, with all its power, failed to intervene, it was the citizens who took a stand. The scenes of protest, where people express their love for the Prophet while firmly stating that no political or religious party should weaponize this love into senseless violence, are inspiring. These protests honour Umerkot’s multicultural and multi-ethnic heritage, proving that the spirit of tolerance and justice still runs deep within the community.

It is time for the cowardly individuals at the helm of Pakistani affairs to look at the courage displayed by the people of Umerkot and then look in the mirror to see what they lack. What they will find missing is integrity, empathy, and loyalty to a constitution that demands we protect each other rather than destroy one another.