On August 14, Pakistan marked its 77th Independence Day, yet, despite 77 years of independence, we have not managed to realize the vision of Pakistan’s founders to build a prosperous Pakistan. Sadly, we have examples of those nations that kicked off with a similar situation as that of Pakistan are now not just developed nations but among the top economies of Asia and the world, and Pakistan, even after decades, is still lagging far behind, and we didn’t learn anything from those countries and are still struggling to achieve success and become a developed nation.
Taking an example of a similar situation, let’s have a look at the Korean War. It was a relatively short period of war between Soviet-backed North Korea and pro-western-backed South Korea with a duration of only 3 years, but it was the bloodiest war, claiming more than 4 million lives from both sides, including forty thousand American soldiers. Today, South Korea is in the world ranking. It has the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 14th largest in the world as of 2024. South Korea is notable for its rapid economic development from an underdeveloped nation to a developed, high-income country in a few generations. But why is there a need to talk about other countries like South Korea? There is a dire need to study these kinds of nations so that we can learn about economic development, the role of quality education, and expertise in science and technology.
Pakistan came into being with an ideology where all functions of the state will be based on the principles of Islamic teachings and no one will be above these principles. Unfortunately, again, we do not find such a Pakistan today. The Quaid provided a plan for governing the state, but we have continuously strayed from the Founding Father’s vision, with successive rulers actively working against his directives. He advocated for democracy, constitutionalism, safeguarding minorities, and eradicating corruption, yet in each of these aspects, we have taken actions contrary to his principles.
A sustained period of democratic governance is essential for Pakistan, ensuring that administrations prioritize the well-being of the population, focus on human development, address administrative challenges, safeguard the rights of minorities, combat corruption, and so on.
Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million. This huge population can play a pivotal role in game-changing success if we do better planning for them by providing more economic opportunities on a mass level, providing opportunities for our youths to learn and achieve high skills in different areas so that an economic revival can be imagined, and apart from acquiring skills, Pakistan is also known as the agricultural country, and this sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, but this sector is also facing numerous challenges that hinder its growth and sustainability, so other steps are also needed to be taken that could lead to a more robust and resilient future for this critical sector, as this is the backbone of our economy.
To sum up, we must be vigilant about our present to secure our future, as we have already faced numerous challenges throughout the years since inception at both domestic and international levels. To fulfill the dream of Jinnah, we must follow his blueprint and follow the notably successful nation’s footsteps to become a prosperous Pakistan.
The author holds a Masters degree in History from the University of Karachi and is looking forward to pursuing higher studies in public administration and advancing Sustainable Development in her home country through historical analysis of socioeconomic challenges. She is committed to making innovative policy solutions as a policymaker, policy analyst, or policy researcher. Areas of interest also include leadership, diplomacy, and foreign policy. She is currently serving as an Intern researcher at Asian Politico.
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