First today: Congratulations on Pakistan’s upcoming Independence Day, 14 August 2026. And then, drawing attention to the title of my article, ‘We Owe It All to You’, many think that we ought to be thankful to the leaders, certainly the founders of Pakistan. But it is also a fact that leaders depend on the citizens to go along with their plans, policies and implementation of it all. In other words, development and success for a country would be based on common goals and action by the visionary leaders and the people, the ordinary citizens.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) was the leader steering Pakistan to Independence on 14 August 1947, and leading the free country for Muslims and others for another year, passing away at the age of 71. Had he lived longer, many more positive developments would certainly have been implemented. This year, it is Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day, celebrated in Islamabad and throughout the country, and in Pakistani communities abroad.

The title of my article today, ‘We Owe It All to You’, is borrowed from a song, an Irish ballad by Frederick Weatherly in 1910. I am sure that many Pakistanis would say that we owe it all to Quaid-e-Azam, if not quite all, then much of the country’s political philosophy, worked out together with several other poets, thinkers, and politicians.

Worldwide, we congratulate the leaders of a country on Independence Day, notably presidents, PMs, top politicians, ambassadors, and others, including civil servants, too. We remember and honour those who have handled crises and challenges over the years after Independence. True, the leaders are important. Yet, the leaders also have a debt to the citizens of a country, because they are the ones who implement decisions and do the everyday work to keep things going. Hence, leaders should also be thankful to the........

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