As Pakistan marks its 79th Independence Day today, there is reason to look at the country with somewhat different eyes. The challenges remain formidable and daily life is difficult for millions. Yet the past two years have also offered something in short supply for far too long: evidence that Pakistan can act with confidence, competence and purpose. The most obvious example came in May 2025, when Pakistan and India were pushed to the brink of a potentially catastrophic war and which Pakistan won fair and square, showing that it can respond to a grave security challenge while ultimately exercising restraint. In a nuclearised region, this is quite important. The second, and perhaps more striking, development has been Pakistan’s diplomacy in the US-Iran conflict, with Islamabad maintaining channels with both Washington and Tehran and playing a facilitating role in efforts to bring the two sides towards negotiations.
So, today’s Pakistan is a confident, responsible international player. Why does this matter? Because for far too long, the country’s global image was defined by security problems, economic vulnerabilities and political instability, as a country managing crises rather than shaping events. That said, international confidence means little if it is not matched by progress at home. Pakistan’s greatest opportunity as well as responsibility lies in its young population. Roughly two-thirds of Pakistanis are under 30. A young, digitally connected and increasingly entrepreneurial population can become an extraordinary economic and creative force. But unemployment, inflation, crime, terrorism and political polarisation are feeding a growing sense of frustration and too many of our young people still think that leaving the country seems easier than building a future in it. One example of the sheer hopelessness we can see among young people is the quiet protests around the Mir Raza case – young people are almost resigned now that the state doesn’t care whether they live or die. A country cannot prosper if its most ambitious young people believe their opportunities lie elsewhere. The fact is that Pakistan has enormous untapped potential – in its young people, its tourism potential, its rich cultural heritage.
The challenge is to turn these possibilities into sustained national progress. At 79, independence should mean more than celebrating the survival of the state. Encouragingly, there is reason for cautious optimism. Pakistan has shown that it can defend itself, conduct serious diplomacy and command international attention for reasons other than its problems. If it can contain even half of its domestic dysfunction – reduce political polarisation, contain terrorism, create jobs, strengthen education and skills and make the state more responsive to citizens – just imagine the possibilities. The idea of Pakistan was always larger than merely surviving. This Independence Day, that is perhaps what deserves to be reclaimed: not blind optimism, but confidence grounded in evidence.
