79 years of survival: Measuring the long road of struggles and strength

Seventy-nine years ago, we inherited a country with undefined borders and no perfect. institutions, bound together by the promise of hard work from its people. On this 79th anniversary, the most unbiased way to honor that promise is to look back and assess what we have built and what we have lost. This exercise, one hopes, will help pave a clearer way forward for our youth , the leaders of tomorrow.

First and foremost, Pakistan secured global recognition and survived within a challenging neighborhood. It weathered three major wars, internal insurgencies, and heavy geopolitical pressure. Although we tragically lost our eastern wing in 1971, Pakistan stands today as an independent nuclear state. Our armed forces and diplomatic corps have continually kept the national flag flying high.

Economic Success

During its first four decades, Pakistan maintained an impressive average annual GDP growth rate of 6 percent. The Green Revolution of the 1960s transformed the agricultural sector, while Pakistan’s Second Five-Year Plan served as a benchmark model for economic planners in South Korea.

The path to self-governance has been rocky. We experienced multiple periods of martial law, followed by returns to democracy and elections that often carried systemic biases. Crucially, no democratically elected prime minister has completed a full five-year tenure. Additionally, the vibrant student unions that once used to be in colleges and universities have remained banned for decades. On a positive note, the country has seen periods of media freedom, an assertive judiciary, and the passage of the landmark 18th Constitutional Amendment, which decentralized power to the provinces instead all with federal government.

Where political institutions have almost failed, the public has stepped up. Whenever natural calamities hit the nation-whether devastating floods or earthquakes-citizens have rallied to provide food, medicine, blood donations, and relief funds. Organizations such as the Edhi Foundation, Saylani, Chhipa, and JDC, alongside vital remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis, remain the country’s true backbone. On the global stage, sports icons like Imran Khan leading the 1992 Cricket World Cup victory and Jahangir Khan dominating world squash for over a decade have repeatedly brought the nation pride.

Despite these human achievements, fundamental sectors remain severely neglected. An estimated 25 to 26 million children remain out of school, while many educational facilities exist only as “ghost schools”-used as storage godowns while non-existent staff draw regular salaries. Another estimate indicate that 21.8 million youth within the age braket 15 to 29 years is uneducated and unemployed.

Consequently, our literacy rate remains significantly lower than that of our regional neighbours. A similar crisis witnessed in basic healthcare: community health units often lack doctors, essential medicines, and  hospital beds. Without prioritizing budget allocations for education and healthcare, building a productive workforce remains impossible.

At an annual rate of roughly 2.55 percent, increasing population growth is a critical risk. As population expands exponentially, it outpaces the arithmetic growth of staple food production-a classic recipe for severe food insecurity. Unchecked demographic expansion also result in acute water shortages, housing deficits, and urban sanitation crises. Currently, an estimated 80 percent of the population have no access to safe drinking water.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat; its consequences are visible in severe  heatwaves in Europe and the catastrophic monsoon floods that submerged one-third of Pakistan in 2022. While Provincial Disaster Management Authorities exist, but timely planning and localized execution remain weak. The silver lining remains the deep-rooted resilience and philanthropic spirit of the population during every crisis.

Weak governance remains Pakistan’s major challenge. Fragile institutions, widespread corruption, and unequal provincial development have eroded public trust. Systemic accountability is largely absent, causing the wealth gap to widen on daily basis.  Furthermore, failure to agree on a new National Finance Commission (NFC) Award since 2010 reflects political gridlock or non serious attitude.

Pakistan’s greatest success is that it has survived against immense odds. Its greatest failure is its inability to deliver fundamental rights such as, jobs, quality education, clean water, and healthcare-to its citizens. At 79, Pakistan is no longer a young or infant state. Its resilience echoes the words of its founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: “There is no power on earth that can undo Pakistan.”

Entering its 80th year, the national challenge now is clear:, survival is no longer the sole metric scale of success. The state must now invest in its most valuable asset-its resilient people-by guaranteeing the easy access of basic necessities of life like clean drinking water, primary education and basic health care.

Happy 79th to Pakistan!