Why should Pakistan observe the day of mourning at the death of Queen Elizabeth II? This question echoed in every mind when our government on the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accorded its approval for the observance of the mentioned demise. Even the Cabinet Division was directed to take necessary steps in this regard.

The irony becomes more pungent when we know that the decision was taken on the very day (September 11) that marked the 74th anniversary of the demise of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Amid the full media coverage with the news of the Queen’s death, the Quaid’s death anniversary went unheard of and untalked about. Is this the message we are giving to our young generation?

These are the times when we had needed direly to remember Quaid, his personality and teachings for the rudderless leadership and people of Pakistan.

After all, why do we mourn the death of a queen who is the emblem of our colonial past? In the annals of history is preserved our Quaid’s reply that galvanised the Muslims of the subcontinent into one rock-solid nation. Now it is understandable why we are being gaslighted by our past colonial powers into forgetting the personality who inspired a nation to freedom. They believe a personality of such magnitude can still jolt a nation out of its inertia. Allama Iqbal’s poetry is now not considered worthy of being included in the syllabi. We are obliviating the milestones of our country’s ideological journey.

It’s quite disappointing that the death anniversary of such a personality was eclipsed by the observance of the death of the Queen. Actually and factually, more than 74 years after our Quaid’s demise, his hard-won country is groping in the dark for a statesman of his stature to steer it away out of the quagmire of perennial anarchy and chaos. It can be achieved at least by reviving his personality and teachings to our youth.

M. NADEEM NADIR,

Kasur.