PAKISTAN THE REBIRTH

The date 25th December is an important day to Pakistanis all over the world. It marks the birthday of the creator and Father Of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but after todays event the date I feel will also represent the rebirth of Pakistan.

For me as a second generation British Pakistani my relationship with Pakistan has always been an interesting one. As most Pakistani children of Immigrant parents, I grew up hearing the stories of the Homeland, of distant childhoods and faraway memories. Pakistan was to me my roots an instringient part of what made me who I was. Like most people my age that link with Pakistan was never severed, holidays and visiting family members made sure that door was fully open for us, but honestly it was never something you really thought about. You were Pakistani, end of, but what did that really mean? You were proud of the fact but proud of what? It didn't really matter it was always more of a natural affiliation. A part of our British Pakistani mindset, knowing that to forget that part of us would ultimately lead to a sense of total confusion and isolation. 

As I got older things began to change, my view of Pakistan became less rosy as the cracks began to appear. I started to notice the politics and the corruption, each leader after leader more corrupt then the previous. As my naivety about Pakistan fell away I noticed the dynasties of families like the Bhutto's and the sharrif's, I started to notice that this wasn't a free or fair country at all. As I got older I began to realise how hard life for most Pakistani's really was, the poverty and inequality, the importance of money and power over love and loyalty. 

As a child when I visited Pakistan I found everything about it magical and wondrous. When the electric gave out and we were plunged into darkness for hours I thought it a splendid game, running around the house with cousins playing hide and seek. It's only as an adult I understand the disgrace of a country like Pakistan failing it's citizens for up to 6 hrs at a time, leaving them with no electricity. How adverse it affects are on the average Pakistani especially the poor. How are business able to succeed and offer employment in such situations?

The older I grew the more the stories of bright blue skies and trees bearing the sweetest of fruits faded, replaced by the realer images of the victims of modern day Pakistan, the victims of floods, the victims of drone attacks, the victims of the Taliban, the victims of the West, the victims of poverty and diseases. It just felt to me watching from afar that Pakistan was sinking and sinking fast.

It broke my heart to watch the people suffering like this, it wasn't the fault of Pakistan, but the fault of those who were supposed to be its protectors, the Zidari's, the Bhutto's, the Ali's, the Sharif's and all the other bloodsucking leeches that reigned at the helm.

I watched as the American's invaded Afghanistan, I watched as they eased their way into Pakistan, buying themselves a place in Zidari's bed. I continued watching on in horror as drone attacks killed my brothers and sisters, when bomb blasts maimed and killed innocents. I continued watching on as Black water operatives ran amok in Pakistan, when Raymond Davis walked free after killing innocent Pakistanis. It broke my heart and filled me with pain. When others told me Pakistan had sold out all I could do was hang my head in shame. It hurt my heart to admit it was true. Every time another drone killed innocent women and children I hung my head a little lower. When I heard that people were still living in tents 2 years after the floods I hung my head lower. When I read of the treatment of the Balochi I hung my head lower still.

It was like a whirlwind of emotions for me and other British Pakistanis the last few years. There is the shame at what we have become and the fear of where we will end up. There is the pain for all those suffering but regardless there will always be the love. 

People think because we are British born and live in the Uk what happens in Pakistan doesn't affect us, of course it does, Pakistan will always be our homeland. It is the soil that bore my mother. It is the blood that flows through my veins. The distance does not matter when it comes to Pakistan. Her pain is our pain, her shame is our shame and her destruction is our destruction. The hurt and the frustration comes from having to watch from afar feeling helpless, like voyeurs on the destruction of our past.

I had come to a point where I couldn't even bare to hear it anymore. It pained me so greatly to know that there was nothing I could do, what could we do so many thousands of miles away. The open debates, the blog posts, the rallies, the fundraising, we did all we could do from here, but it was never enough. It was even more frustrating when we could see that there was an answer but it was being blocked at every corner.

What was that answer? It was Imran Khan of course. When I first learnt of Imran Khan's foray into politics I was a little confused as I was of that generation that as a child would watch him playing cricket for Pakistan. But as I looked into him I could see that his style and position on politics appealed to me. His Cancer hospitals are amazing. I lost my Gran in Pakistan to cancer and understand how difficult and expensive it is to treat out there. Here was the first politician to have ever actually given back to Pakistan, however now I hear that he's also built the first private sector University offering international degrees and 90% student scholarships. 

Imran Khan gave me a glimmer of hope, at the time granted it was a small glimmer but it was still there. I have to admit my respect increased ten fold when he escaped house arrest in 2007. I had a feeling that these guys were going to find it hard to get rid of Imran and I was right.

Imran khan has taken his share of insults and of put downs and so has his followers, if I could count the times that I have been laughed at for believing in him, the amount of times I have been told he has no substance and will never succeed. Maybe if you gave me a pound for all those times I could get my ticket to visit Pakistan.

Recently things have started to change, there is a change in the air. Maybe it was the influence of the Arab spring, maybe Pakistani's had just had enough. Rumours are currently going around that Zidari is about to sign a treaty with the USA that we can never use our nuclear weapons first. We may as well sign the whole lot over to Obama, that's what the USA always wanted Pakistan's Nuclear power and our natural resources. Which may I add is a vast amount and if it was lining the pockets of average pakistani instead of greedy politicians and the Americans would make Pakistan a very wealthy nations?

So wether its encouragement due to the arab spring or it was just the right time ...Pakistan is having her time. She is fed up with hanging her head in shame like a battered housewife, she is fighting back and she is getting stronger.

Today on the birthday of our founding farther Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Imran Khan helped Pakistan to be reborn, to be the Pakistan that Jinnah always dreamed of, what she should have been not what she became. 

I sat with my family watching the proceedings unfold. There was a buzz in the house, my parents beamed with pride, I admit I shed a few tears, we stared mesmerised to our screens for hours, watching the crowds cheering on Imran. I listened transfixed to his speeches, the talk of more hospitals and schools, of free education and health care. Of an end to corruption and the destruction of pride. I felt humbled by his apology to the people of Balchostan..and his promise to all Pakistanis regardless of religion, language or region to take Pakistan back to glory. 

Now many could argue that I am getting excited over nothing. That these are just hollow words, he will turn out like the rest. Well, I would have to argue that, I have been taught to judge a man on his actions rather then his words and going by IK past record and clear transparency I doubt very much that things are going to be any different. IK is a man that has always stuck to his word and carried himself with grace and class. Why should this time be any different?

As well as watching him I obviously had to join in with what Twitter was saying, after all this is where all the real news happens !!! I was amazed to see how flooded my time line was with pro PTI tweets, I was even more amazed to see that PTI Jalsa was the second most prevalent trending on twitter. It seemed Imran had kind of hijacked christmas!! It was exciting. It felt like a historical moment today, I remember my mum saying that she couldn't remember the last time that she had been so excited in Pakistani politics. I sincerely hope this continues.

So as a Pakistani living so far away from her Motherland I am here waiting with bated breath to see what happens next. I am proud to say that we are fighting back and uniting, I just pray Inshallah that we continue down this road. It is time for change and the PTI Tsunami has just hit lets hope it continues

Pakistan zindabad