Assalam o Alaikum!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about the greatest opportunity as a Pakistani that we can witness - independence. It is a great honor to give a speech in front of such capable individuals. I want to start my speech by stating that Pakistan did not gain independence in 1947. According to the father of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan was created when the first Hindu converted to Islam. It happened more than 1300 years ago. We officially gained independence on August 14, 1947.
But here I want to highlight what happened after independence. Those who took part in the freedom struggle saw the quarrels of powerful politicians. In the first 10 years, the prime minister changed 7 times. This shows how unstable our political system was. Then those freedom fighters who were fighting the British at that time saw two martial laws. First Ayub Khan and then Yahya Khan.
To add insult to injury, East Pakistan seceded from us. After losing Kashmir, we lost our right-wing East Pakistan. On the occasion, Indira Gandhi said that India had drowned the theory of two nations in the Bay of Bengal. People expected that sooner or later Pakistan would break into more pieces. But I was very proud that we came back stronger than ever as a nation.
We played a central role in defeating the superpower of the time - Russia. Then we became the first Muslim country to become a nuclear power. When Pakistan conducted nuclear tests, there were celebrations in every Muslim country. We have won world cups, Olympic medals, Nobel prizes and many other important awards.
Dear brothers and sisters, even though we have achieved so much, we still fall short.
Politicians also need to do more than making speeches on Pakistan Independence Day. Our neighbor and arch rival India has surpassed us in almost every field. what is the reason for this? Many will say bad economy or corrupt politicians. But sadly, if we go deeper, we are the ones responsible for this mess. We give votes to such corrupt politicians and bring them to power.
Many cast votes based on caste, creed or by taking money or food. When it comes to crippling the economy, we are also responsible. The upper class does not give taxes. In America, tax evasion is one of the biggest civil torts. As for the middle class and the poor, we support informal economic activities. We must realize that we must work in harmony and for the betterment of our country as a nation. Let us pray that we may start living in peace and harmony and work together for the betterment of our beloved homeland. Amen. That's all from me.
