There have been sixty three years to Pakistan's independence but stillwehave beenstruggling for our survival as a sovereign, self-reliant and proudnation. During all these years, we havenever ever sincerely tried to stand at our own feet to face the challenges of life. There has been a history of all the successive governments in Pakistan that have relied more on foreign crutchesthan on their available resourcesfor running the day to day affairs of the country.It is an open secret that foreign aid has proved to bea liability for Pakistan rather thananasset. It is so, because,the received aidhas nothelped usto improve the general socio-economic condition of the downtroddenpeople of the country. Whatever foreign aid we received during all the years, we wasted the same due to our corruption, mismanagement, and lack of sincerity for utilizing it for the purpose for which it was borrowed from foreign countries or donors agencies. It is also a fact thatthe receivedaid has not been without stiff conditions; which not only have affected our sovereignty but also have hindered our cause of making us a self-reliant nation. The history has proved that those nations have withstood the pressure of strong winds which have stood on their own feet. For how long our governments will depend on foreign aid for changing the much needed fate of 170 million population of the country? For how long we will be sacrificing our self-esteem and sovereignty for the cause of a few dollars? For how long we will be solely depending on the foreign crutches for our survival? It is time to think seriously for making Pakistan a self-reliant country. For this to happen, first of all we have to create a self belief in ourselves that we can live without foreign aid. That belief will definitelychange our thinking and attitude towards lifeand will make us more hard working, committed, sincere, and honest in all our individual and collectiveaffairs. God has gifted Pakistan with so many precious things.The only thing is to tap and utilize all these gifts in a proper and effective manner for the realization of a dream ofmaking Pakistan a developed countryin the comity of nations. Once we are able to do this, I am sure that will pave the waytowards our destination of making us aself-reliant country. ABDUL SAMAD SAMO, Karachi, March 22.