Dear Pakistan,
Ever since Pakistan came into being, the country has ploughed through difficulties of every form: economic, social, political – you name it. After every win, we rose with a new dimension of hope and passion and this has made us unarguably one of the most resilient and patriotic populations across the world.
This previous month, Pakistan saw new developments which paid homage to our endless efforts over the years.
One such development is the newly launched Digital Pakistan initiative. Headed by Tania Aidrus, the program aims to revolutionise Pakistani institutions through the use of technology. The MIT graduate and former Google employee has impressed the entirety of Pakistan with her amazing ideas and professional, determined attitude. She called to Pakistanis across the world to submit their ideas and help to develop Pakistan to its full potential. This ideology is one we needed in Pakistan; one that allows us to contribute to the well-being of our nation with ease and comfort.
Another newly launched program is the Clean Green Pakistan program. This initiative, packed with well-renowned influencers, aims to educate the masses on cleanliness and hygiene - something that we greatly needed to ensure the safety and security of the population.
One action taken by the program is the nationwide ban on single-use, plastic bags. This measure is not only beneficial to the environment but also a message to the world that Pakistan is world-ready and takes issues that affect the greater good seriously. The way Pakistanis across the country developed solutions to this new legislation, such as introducing recycled paper and reusable cloth bags, reiterated the country’s resilience.
The month gone by was much like an exhibition of Pakistan’s ability and potential and gave us, as citizens of this nation, the chance to facilitate the growth and development of the country. But still we have a long way to go to claim our rightful place in the world. The recent gender equality index published by the World Economic Forum showed Pakistan occupying a lowly place, far behind the world and its peers in South Asia. Women in Pakistan are flying planes and excelling in all fields of life. But, it seems, the journey has just begun.
We can also not be very proud of our ranking in the UN Human Development Index. We fare poorly in terms of provision of basic education and health facilities to the bulk of our population. Malnutrition among children and lack of jobs and housing for the poor are big challenges facing Pakistan.
On December 25 we celebrated the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. The day reminded us of the pledge of our founding fathers to establish a society based on the egalitarian principles of Islam. But successive governments in Pakistan failed to translate the dream of Quaid-e-Azam into reality.
We have wasted much time but we have not lost hope. The old decrepit order has crumbled and we are striving to build Naya Pakistan. Insha Allah we will succeed in building Naya Pakistan - and very soon.
Myra Ahmed