Sacrifice: Pakistan’s eternal spirit of survival

SACRIFICE lies at the heart of Eid‑ul‑Adha. When Prophet Ibrahim (AS) prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail (AS), Allah in His Mercy ordained Eid‑ul‑Adha to commemorate that spirit. Muslims mark the occasion by sacrificing animals and sharing with the poor, relatives and friends. Just as Ibrahim (AS) was willing to surrender his son, Pakistanis since independence have endured immense sacrifices to safeguard their freedom and sovereignty. At Pakistan’s birth in 1947, millions of Muslims migrated from India to their promised homeland. Refugee caravans were attacked by marauding mobs; Hindus and Sikhs inflicted atrocities, while retaliatory violence also scarred the exodus. Over fifteen million were uprooted and up to two million perished. Hundreds of thousands of women were raped or killed. This blood-soaked migration was Pakistan’s first collective sacrifice. Barely months after independence, India invaded Kashmir. The princely state was to decide its future through the people’s will, but Indian troops coerced the Maharaja into acceding to India. Volunteers from Pakistan, alongside the fledgling army, fought valiantly with obsolete weapons. They liberated one‑third of Kashmir before India sought UN intervention. Heroes like Captain Muhammad Sarwar and Naik Saif Ali Janjua embraced martyrdom, embodying sacrifice for the Kashmiri cause. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder, concealed his terminal illness to ensure independence was achieved. Tuberculosis had perforated his lungs, yet he persevered until Pakistan was born. Had his ailment been exposed, the British departure could have been delayed and Pakistan might never have emerged. His life itself was the ultimate sacrifice, leaving the nation bereft of his guidance soon after independence. Jinnah’s trusted lieutenant, Liaquat Ali Khan, steered Pakistan through its fragile infancy. He faced an empty treasury, millions of refugees and India’s denial of Pakistan’s rightful assets. Despite personal wealth, he