True independence isn’t won once, it’s protected every single day.

There is a heartbeat to the night before 14 th August. The streets are lit up in green and white lights, children are waving their flags on the rooftops and shouting the name of the song all over “Dil Dil Pakistan”.

But beneath the music, beneath the fireworks, there is something more-the tale of one fight, one sacrifice and an obligation that we have yet to deliver on.

It is not only Independence Day which takes place to celebrate freedom. It is remembering at how much a cost it was; and what will we do to keep this freedom alive?

Pakistan’s birth in 1947 wasn’t a gentle arrival. It came through a storm, decades of political struggle, broken promises, and sacrifices we can barely imagine today.

Jinnah, gaunt but unshaken, speaking of a vision he could almost see. Allama Iqbal planted the seed way back in the hearts of young Muslims in his verses. Examples of such leaders include Liaquat Ali Khan and Fatima Jinnah persisting at the line when it would have been normal to surrender.

To average families, independence came down to leaving all behind land, homes, memories and going forth into an unknown. It meant boarding trains where every mile forward could be the last.

History calls Partition the largest migration in human history, 14 million people on the move, crossing new borders under the ruthless August sun. Many never made it. Entire caravans vanished to violence. Villages were left as charred skeletons.

My granny told me how her dad traveled. He took his little brother along and walked barefooted days upon days eating nothing, cupping water in his hands of little streams on the road. They lost the family’s land, their home, everything, and yet she would say with a quiet strength, “We lost all, but we found Pakistan.”

This year, we mark 78 years as a nation. And Pakistan in 2025 looks nothing like it did in 1947, not just because of technology or tall buildings, but because of the space we’ve claimed in the world.

• Technology & Innovation: From Karachi to Peshawar, young Pakistanis are building apps, launching AI startups, and serving clients in every time zone. Our freelancers contribute hundreds of millions to the global economy each year.
• Cultural Power: Coke Studio tracks trends in countries we’ve never even visited. Our dramas stream on Netflix. Artists from Lahore and Islamabad are performing at international festivals.
• Sports Pride: Cricket still brings us to our feet, but names like Arshad Nadeem and Noorena Shams are carrying our flag into arenas far from home.

But there’s the other side: climate change scorching our fields, poverty still choking dreams, political divisions testing our unity. Which is why this year’s Independence Day can’t just be about fireworks, it has to be about recommitment.

If there’s one thing Pakistanis are never short of, it’s passion. We love Independence Day like no other and one can see that all across the country.

Early in the morning of 14 th August street turned into a lively space of music, drums and national singing. Families go up to roofs to observe fireworks exploding into the sky at night. In far flung villages you will find children with hand painted flags in their hands singing the song Sohni Dharti with the enthusiasm of a stadium.

Be it the roadside stalls at the bazaars in Multan with green bangles or the school kids in Gilgit dressing up their schools, the feeling is the same, a proud day of celebration that is part of history.

However, this enthusiasm does not only consist of buntings and face paints. It also indicates itself through the milestones that we have attained as a nation. Pakistan has been on the international front in the recent years:

• Our IT industry ranks among the fastest-growing in the world, with young freelancers contributing over $400 million annually to the economy.
• Pakistani scientists and engineers have been part of NASA research teams and international climate change projects.
• In sports, our cricket team’s triumphs have inspired millions, while athletes like Arshad Nadeem and Noorena Shams have brought home medals and recognition.
• Our Esports scene has shocked the world. Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile team, Team AGONxi8, brought home the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, showing that our youth can dominate even in cutting-edge digital arenas.
• Other young champions have excelled in martial arts, boxing, and wrestling on the Asian stage, proudly lifting the green crescent flag in front of thousands.
• Our arts and culture, from Coke Studio music to award-winning dramas are now streaming in dozens of countries, reshaping the world’s image of Pakistan.

When we see the streets lit up in green and white, we should remember: this is not just celebration for the sake of joy, it’s a tribute to what we can achieve when we work together.

If we can channel even half the energy we pour into 14th August festivities into education, innovation, sports, and global collaboration, Pakistan’s flag will not just wave proudly at home, it will stand taller across the world.

We like to speak of what our forefathers did for us. But the truth is, one day history will speak of what we did for Pakistan.

Responsibility doesn’t always arrive as grand gestures. It shows up in the small, stubborn choices we make daily:

• Choosing to keep our rivers clean instead of tossing trash into them.
• Funding a child’s education, or simply sitting with them and teaching them to read.
• Supporting local shops instead of only foreign brands.
• Refusing to fan divisions of language, ethnicity, or sect.
• Voting, not as a favor to someone you know, but as a duty to the future.

Nation-building isn’t a slogan. It’s as practical as picking up litter, mentoring a young worker, or showing up when floods hit.

The torch handed to us in 1947 is still burning. Drop it, and we dishonor the dead. Carry it, and we give life to their dream.

In 1947, the dream was a land built on justice, unity, and opportunity. The founders didn’t get everything right. Neither have we. But Independence Day is a chance to reset.

Maybe your place is in a classroom, shaping young minds. Maybe it’s in an office, designing something the world hasn’t seen yet. Maybe it’s in a field, growing food that feeds cities. Whatever it is, it matters.

My clock strikes close to midnight on 13 th August and my thoughts go to Jinnah, looking down at Pakistan lights. The smiling children, motorbikes roaring, the lanterns on the rooftops. But he also looks at empty rooms and drought-stricken fields and poisoned waters.

And perhaps he puts the question we all ought to be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough?

This year, let our answer be louder than the fireworks. Let “Pakistan Zindabad” be more than a cheer, let it be a way of living.