Pakistan Ka Matlab Kya

In her recent article Marvi Sirmed - a rights' activist and an independent researcher - has insisted upon the importance of a national identity, which she believes to be absent in Pakistanis and especially the youth. This, the idea of identity, has been discussed by many columnist and researchers in the past. Solutions are given, theories are formed, but the debate must continue. Although one thing is for sure, the slogan "What's the meaning of Pakistan," which was used to create Pakistan, is a question that haunts Pakistan till the day.

The identity crises that many, including Marvi, are pointing to, emerges from the concept of Muslim supremacism, that lets majority of Pakistani youth believe in a false sense of identity based not on their culture, heritage, history, language, or traditions but a concept of religion and its domination. Their pride and allegiance is not with their local customs but with a theoretical idea that links them to the Muslims who follow totally different cultures than their own and creates prodigious perplexity over the ownership of an identity.

This lack of identity stems not from the faith of Islam or the popular Muslim belief, but is seeded in the concept of the State of Pakistan and the way it was created and the direction it is being steered. Evidently the partition of greater India in itself was a forced mechanism, derived from political and ideological differences between Muhammad Ali Jinnah (The founder of Pakistan) and Mohandas Gandhi. It was the mistakes of the two, which gave birth to the idea of a separate identity framed around the concept of a two nation theory based on the perceived differences between the Muslims and the Hindus. Pakistan was Jinnah's political, rather then ideological, concept. As it was opposed by prominent Islamic theology based groups within greater India.

As Pakistan came into be, it became evident that it lacks a valid argument to support the bloody and heinous partition. Whereas India retained its identity in the historic name, its culture, pluralistic society, heterogeneous customs, and unity as a federation. It cashed in on its diversity along with its Indian values and clung to a democratic system to govern the state. Whilst in Pakistan the idea of Islamism was promoted fervently by the elite establishment, to force a homogeneity in a reluctant and somewhat lost nation. The lack of democracy and basic human rights not only evoke Bangladesh to separate but exposed the two nation theory and its vulnerability in a diverse society.

As Marvi Sirmed concluded in her article that:

It is important, in short, to be Pakistani before being a Hindu, Christian, Sikh or — yes — a Muslim. The texts beginning from a clichéd ‘all of us are Muslims’, need to be totally shunned in favour of a nation state-based identity, which would not only drag the society towards egalitarianism, but also would define our wider international behaviour.

Pakistanis must not see their diversity as a disability but rather Pakistan's fortitude that strengthens it as a nation. Pakistan needs to completely shun its two nation theory and accept its indigenous - Indian - culture and heritage as its real identity. It needs not to be Islamic Republic of Pakistan but a Union of Pakistani Nation. It is paramount to strengthening its democracy and the constitution, which will polish its true identity. The constitution - in diverse nations like Pakistan - is the backbone of the union, laying down the principles and the framework for a united nation. Last, but not least, educating the youth about democracy and the constitution will pave the way towards a new direction - a new of Pakistan.