Azadi March through the Eyes of a Seventeen Year Old By Mumammed Nazar Syed

We've heard great stories about the heroes and martyrs that strived to give the land we call Pakistan today its independence some 67 years ago. We hear about how lucky we are today to live in a land we call our own, how we breathe a free air and live a free life. If that is the case, then why don’t I feel free? Why do I feel the air I breathe is suffocating me every day and the life I live is actually chained to one of the walls on the Raiwand Mansion.

Imran Khan has been an inspiration to me since 2011, when I got my hands on his autobiography. I read an account of the fascinating history of Pakistan intertwined with a lot of personal accounts of Khan Sahab’s life. By the last page I had come to a solid conclusion, that a man who gave up his wife and kids, his princely life, all his riches and glory to stand in front of the oppressors to protect the rights of a common youth like me cannot be a deceiver.

Through my limited knowledge of Pakistan’s politics and lack of personal experience of political affairs, I have a very inadequate judgement of whatever is going right now. But through common logic, I do know whatever has been going on, cannot go on any longer. As I scroll through PTI’s Facebook page educating myself on the current situation, I come closer and closer to the conclusion that this Azadi March, is the actual Azadi that our forefathers marched for. This is what Pakistan was made for, and what it still stands for today.

There is not a lot of difference between a 17 year old in 1947 and me. Then we looked towards Mohammad Ali Jinnah for leadership, today I look towards Imran Khan. Then we fought against the Hindus to free ourselves from oppression, today we fight against the Sharif Dynasty. Then we fought for our independence, today we fight for our deserved democracy. Then a 17 year old was not scared of anything, today I fear no one else except my Allah.

As fellow Pakistanis, it is our moral right to not only stand up against the rigging of 2013, or to stand up against the incompetent governance by Nawaz and Co, but to stand alongside Khan Sahab as he stood for us from 1996 up to this day. This is a person who day in and day out, lives eats sleeps Pakistan. He has given more sacrifices than Nawaz league has ever given all combined and he is still standing up for ‘our’ rights that have been stolen in 2013. Imran Khan has paved the path for our belated freedom, it is time for us to walk on that path with our heads held high and our spirits even higher.

14th August 2014 will be one of those events which will go down into history. In 20 odd years when we are parents of young adolescent teenagers like me and they ask us, ‘Where were you when the fight for our democracy was being fought? Where were you when the tyrants were reigning in Pakistan and Imran Khan took a stand against it? Where were you when the battle for our authentic freedom was brawled on the streets of Islamabad?’ At least we will be able to raise our heads and tell them we were part of the crowd of freedom warriors, we were the change that Imran Khan dreamt of, and we were Naya Pakistan.

I would like to take you down memory lane, to 14th August 1947. A sea of people came from India to a new Pakistan, a free Pakistan. With hopes and ambitions sky rocketing and wondering what this new land holds for them. Now I want to bring you back to the present. A tsunami of people will march towards Islamabad to free it from the rulers who have enslaved it. Young and old alike will have hopes and aspirations to see this impaired country stand up on its legs again. All will see it rise from the ashes to the new Pakistan that the people of 1947 dreamt of and Imran Khan will be the modern Jinnah.

I feel lucky to have been born on such an honorable day as 14th August. As I cut the cake and blow the candles, the people of Pakistan will cut the chains of our country and blow away the rust in the form of these leaders and maybe, just maybe we will begin to hope again. And the suffocating air will be free and our enchained lives will break its shackles and see the dawn of a Naya Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad!"

by webmaster@insaf.pk (tkiadmin)