I am a proud member of my Pakistani nation. For the past 60 years we have been under Ayub Khan, Zia ul Haq, Yahya Khan and Pervez Musharraf. But on 18th March we have proved one thing once and for all; this country will only be ruled by the ‘People of Pakistan’ and by no military or civilian dictator.

Those who believe that we are politically unaware or uneducated, I ask them to name one country who is under so much pressure internal and external, facing this magnitude of challenges (terrorism, wheat/power crisis, etc) and still coming out as a winner with the power of vote. This country produced leaders like Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Allama Muhammed Iqbal, Benazir Bhutto and ZA Bhutto. This nation produced thinkers and poets like Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmed Faraz and Habib Jalib.

Having said that, there is still a long way to go. But to start every journey, it takes only a single step. And the best part is we took that step on February the 18th.

The following Naz’m by Faiz Ahmed Faiz was the inspiration to every generation who faced a dictator. brilliantly sung my Madame Iqbal Bano:

Hum dekhain gay
Lazim hai kay hum bhi dekhain gay
Woh din ke jis ka wadah hai
Jo loh-e-azl pe likha hai
Hum dekhain gay

Jab zulm-o-sitam kay koh-e-garaan
Ruii ki tarah urh jain gay
Hum mehkumoon kay paun talay
Yeh dharti dhar dhar dharkay gee
Aur ahl-e-hukum kay sar uper
Jab bijli kar kar karkay gee
Hum dekhain gay
Jab arz-e-khuda kay Kaabay say
Sab but uthwaaey jaen gay
Hum ahl-e-safa mardood-e-haram
Masnad pay bithaaey jain gay
Sab taaj uchalay jain gay
Sab takht giraaey jain gay
Bas naam rahay ga Allah ka
Jo ghayab bhi hai hazir bhi
Jo nazir bhi hai manzar bhi
Uthay ga an-al-Haq ka naara
Jo main bhi hun aur tumbhi ho
Aur raaj karay gi khalq-e-khuda
Jo main bhi hun aur tum bhi ho

loh - slate
azl - beginning of eternity
koh - mountain
garaan - limit
mehkumoon - subordinates
ahl-e-hukum - rulers
arz-e-Khuda - God’s earth
ahl-e-safa - pure people
mardood-e-haram - evicted from the perimeter of the Kaaba
masnad - place of honor
an-al-Haq - I am the truth

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