By Asghar Ali Mubarak
Pakistan was described as the hard-won outcome of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s relentless struggle and the unparalleled sacrifices of its martyrs at a gathering in Rawalpindi held to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Mazhar Ali Mubarak, who was killed in a terrorist attack in 2013. The event, attended by religious scholars, community members and families affected by terrorism, served both as a moment of remembrance and as a reaffirmation of national resolve against violent extremism.
Speakers repeatedly stressed that the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces and ordinary citizens in the long and painful struggle against terrorism had not been in vain. They said the nation continued to stand firm in the face of extremist violence, despite the heavy human cost paid over the past two decades. The message was clear and consistent: Pakistan’s survival and stability were inseparable from the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives, and forgetting them would amount to erasing the moral foundations of the state itself.
Addressing the gathering, the prominent religious scholar Allama Dr Syed Mohsin Ali Naqvi said that love for the Ahl-e-Bait was an essential part of faith and a unifying force within Islam. He reminded the audience that the message of peace and compassion was not exclusive to any one tradition, noting that divine teachings, including those associated with Hazrat Isa (Jesus), consistently emphasized patience, justice and mercy. In a country scarred by sectarian and ideological violence, he said, these shared values offered a path away from division and towards coexistence.
Naqvi warned that nations which failed to honour their martyrs were never forgiven by history. He said Pakistan’s continuity could not be separated from the blood sacrificed in its defence, whether on the battlefield or through acts of terror targeting innocent civilians. Drawing on religious discourse, he reflected on Surah Al-Kawthar, explaining that it was revealed at a moment when the Prophet Muhammad faced mockery and hostility from his opponents. The chapter, he said, stood as a timeless reminder that truth and justice ultimately endure, while hatred, arrogance and malice fade into irrelevance.
Referring to Pakistan’s security challenges, Naqvi said the country had already confronted and survived external aggression and would also overcome internal threats, including militant groups operating under extremist banners. He emphasized that national unity, particularly harmony among different Muslim schools of thought, was now more critical than ever. Without internal cohesion, he warned, external and internal enemies would continue to exploit divisions for their own ends.
Other speakers, including Maulana Syed Nair Abbas Naqvi, reinforced the religious and moral significance of martyrdom. Citing verses from the Quran, they described martyrs as spiritually alive despite their physical absence, arguing that their sacrifices continued to inspire courage, resistance and moral clarity within society. Recitations and tributes followed, linking the sacrifices of Karbala with those of contemporary martyrs who lost their lives to terrorism in Pakistan.
The gathering concluded with a solemn remembrance of Mazhar Ali Mubarak, the young son of Dr Mubarak Ali, who was killed by TTP militants more than a decade ago. Speakers said his martyrdom symbolized the suffering endured by thousands of Pakistani families who lost loved ones to extremist violence. They added that remembering such victims was not merely an act of mourning, but a reaffirmation of the collective determination to reject terrorism and extremism in all their forms, and to uphold the values for which so many had given their lives.
(The writer is a senior journalist covering various beats, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
