Happy Birthday Pak Watan!

Originally written on August 14, 2012. 

You have given me every reason to criticize you but you have also given me the opportunity to improve you. You have given me a legacy I am not entirely proud of but you offer a future which holds promise. You have given me enemies I didn’t need but you also gave me friends which at times care more about us than our leaders. You have given me a polarized and corrupt society but you have also given 

me the resources to shape a better tomorrow. You allowed me to be raised by a generation which stood like cowards in the face of dictatorship and extremist policies but you also gave me the children who are fighting for democracy and human rights. You have given me perverse laws but you also gave me free media. You have given me disappointing Olympics but you have also given me Worldcup glories. You have given me Taliban but you also gave me Malala Yusufzai. You have given me target killings but you have also given me Edhi. You never gave me free health care but in doing so you gave me Dr. Adeeb Rizvi and so many like him. I can go on Pakistan because with all your failures you never failed to give me hope and in giving me hope you have given me Everything! 

Be as bad as you want Pakistan, just don’t take that hope away from your people who all love you. Hope they can learn to love each other as well. 

Happy Birthday Pak Watan. As you grow old may we Grow Up!