Formerly the chairperson of Mensa Pakistan, Faisal Qureshi is a talk show host based in Karachi.

Dear Pakistan,

It is that time of the year when one stops and takes stock of where things stand. My first instinct is to list all the miseries you are riddled with, and thereby break into yet another round of mourning. But I am tired of doing that. The fact is, that I have made every effort to destroy your future. I have spent my life deconstructing you bit by bit. Never abandoned an opportunity to cut right through your heart. I have drenched your sands with blood of my own. In short, I have done everything in my power and beyond, to shatter your dreams and snuff out the hopes of your mothers and daughter.

But, my dear Pakistan, this is an interesting year. Once again the holy nights of Ramadan are in sync with the night of your creation. Shab-e-Qadr, i.e. 27th Ramadan will be just two days away from 14th August. And I feel we should take this moment in time to renew our azm-e-alishan (determination to succeed) and instead of mourning for what we don’t have, look at what we do have and build upon that.

My dear Pakistan, my country, I remember how you protected me and gave me shelter when I was oppressed. You give me water, even though I do not make the job easier for you. You feed the entire population, even though I have not bothered to reduce your burden of population. My dear Pakistan, you have given me an identity, a culture, a rich history, an ancient inheritance, and more than anything else, freedom. You have given me the freedom to be whoever I want to be; freedom to grow and succeed. You have given me the freedom to hold myself accountable – but I don’t.

Pakistan, I beg your forgiveness for my indiscretions, for my carelessness. I beg you to give me another chance to be a fair son of your soil. I beg you to forgive my failures and to protect me from my own evil hands

My dear Pakistan, keeping in mind the struggle of my forefathers and for the promise of my children’s bright future, I pledge my allegiance to you. I promise to uphold your honour; to stand together with my brothers and sisters, in unity, in faith, and with discipline.

My dear Pakistan, last but not least, I thank you for letting me be a Pakistani.

Yours truly,

Faisal Qureshi

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