By Alia Zarar Khan
First of all, a happy Independence Day to all our readers and to every patriotic Pakistani. Yet this year, amid the flags, ceremonies and familiar songs, there is an uncomfortable feeling that the meaning of Independence Day is gradually being lost. What should be a day of pride, reflection and national belonging has increasingly become an occasion for political mockery and social-media ridicule. Across platforms, memes targeting Pakistan have become almost routine. This year, however, some of the material circulating online crossed a line that should concern us all. Among the most disturbing examples were videos in which overseas Pakistanis altered or mocked patriotic songs that generations grew up hearing with affection.
Songs such as Is Parcham Ke Saaye Tale and Mere Watan, Mere Baad Mein Ho Tu carry memories that go beyond politics. They belong to the emotional history of the country. Turning them into material for ridicule, particularly on Independence Day, does not amount to political criticism. It is a rejection of the very sentiment that binds people to their homeland. There is nothing wrong with criticizing Pakistan. Indeed, a healthy country requires citizens who are willing to question its government, institutions and policies. Democracy depends on disagreement. Journalism depends on scrutiny. Citizens have every right to protest injustice, expose corruption and demand better governance.
Patriotism should never be used as an excuse to silence criticism. But there is an important distinction between criticizing a country and deliberately humiliating it. Pakistan faces serious problems. Political division has become deeply entrenched. Economic hardship continues to weigh on ordinary families. Violence, intolerance, weak institutions and poor governance remain persistent concerns. There are also deeply disturbing cases of sexual abuse, violence against children, murder and other crimes that rightly provoke anger and grief. These realities cannot and should not be hidden simply because it is Independence Day. But neither should these tragedies be turned into weapons for mocking the country itself.
The suffering of victims deserves justice, not memes. The failure of institutions demands reform, not contempt for an entire nation. A crime committed in Pakistan is a reason to demand accountability from those responsible and from institutions that failed to protect victims. It is not a reason to ridicule millions of people who had no connection with it. The same principle applies to politics. Governments change, parties rise and fall, leaders are praised and criticized. None of these things should determine whether a citizen respects the country. Pakistan belongs neither to one political party nor to one government. It belongs to its people.
That distinction appears to have become blurred in the age of social media. Political frustration is often expressed as national humiliation, while outrage is rewarded with views, shares and followers. The result is an increasingly cynical public conversation in which almost everything, including national symbols, can become a joke. This is particularly troubling when such content comes from overseas Pakistanis. Living abroad naturally gives people a different perspective on their country of origin. They may have legitimate grievances and strong opinions about politics and society. But distance should not become a licence to degrade the homeland in front of the world.
At the same time, calls for harsh punishment must be approached carefully. The state should act against genuine offences under the law, particularly where conduct involves incitement, threats, deliberate fraud or other criminal behavior. But citizenship is a serious legal status, not a tool for settling political or cultural disagreements. Any action against citizens must remain grounded in law, due process and clearly established offences. A mature state should defend national dignity without abandoning the principles of justice it claims to uphold. Perhaps the deeper problem lies elsewhere. Pakistan has spent decades romanticizing its founders and historical figures while struggling to build the society their ideals demanded.
Independence was never meant to be merely an annual celebration. It was an opportunity to build a society in which people could live with dignity, exercise their rights and take responsibility for the future. That work does not end with the raising of a flag. It begins there. True patriotism therefore requires more than wearing green or posting a national song. It means paying taxes honestly, respecting the law, protecting the vulnerable, rejecting violence, treating minorities and fellow citizens with dignity, and demanding better from those who govern us. It also means refusing to turn our own country into an object of contempt simply because we are disappointed with its present condition.
(The writer is a law graduate and advocate of the high court in Pakistan, currently based in Saudi Arabia, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
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