By Wahid Deenari

After 73 years of Independence, Pakistan has moved from a Nation searching for a state, to a state searching for a Nation. Indeed, Pakistan has failed miserably in the process of Nation Building. Let me briefly define the term Nation building to make my point clear; “it is the creation of national identities, traditions, symbols, shared historical memories and common cultural points.” Undoubtedly, It is the state who has the ultimate responsibility to establish national identities through its policies. It must carve out such strategies that help in integration, cohesion and unity. However, when we learn the history of state of Pakistan after 1947, we can easily come to a conclusion that it has done nothing what it was supposed to do. For today, the Pakhtun identity, the Baloch identity, the Sindhi identity etc. seem dominating the national Identity. The fault line obviously lies in the policies of state. It has failed through creating a nation that was to be united under a single and agreed banner.

So, it can be said that the Nation Building is critical to the success of State building. Take a simple situation. How can I sacrifice my life for the state that has given me nothing in 73 years? Or, if the state is corrupt, violent and weak, my passion of nationality will definitely become grim. Thus, it is crystal clear that a strong state is indispensable, for creating a strong Nation. To cut the long story short, Pakistan still has the opportunity to unify various groups under a single banner. It can create a sense of national identity in various groups via granting them real autonomy within the constitutional domain. Moreover, soft and friendly policies towards the vulnerable groups may assist a lot in this regard.

Happy Independence Day

Pakistan Zindabad.