Pakistan the T20 Champs 2009Pakistan cricket is back with a bang!! and so it seems are our collective spirits. Overnight the mood of the country has changed from despair to euphoria and why not. For us cricket is not merely our favorite spectator sport. Its more than that. In India they say its a religion. For us its that and also something more. It defines our identity, shapes and strengthens it. The Brazilians love their soccer like the Indians love their cricket but for Pakistan its cricket that makes us forget our differences and makes us feel one, makes us feel proud Pakistanis. I don't know how this happened but over the years its our cricket team that has managed to transcend our ethnic,sectarian and provincial differences. Either we all despise them when they lose or we all lose ourselves in Ecstasy when they win. from the fisherman of gawadar to the tourist guide of gilgit, from the chai walla of Karachi to the gun maker of Khyber, we stop doing our own thing and start feeling as one, thinking as one, reacting as one, mourning as one or celebrating as one.
We will have our differences. There will be inter provincial disharmony. There will be ethnic tensions in Karachi and elsewhere. Sectarian violence cant be wished away nor the menace of extremism. In spite of all these things our journey as a nation will continue onwards .
Islamabad Celebrates
Celebrations on Sunday night, our response to the earthquake, the lawyers movement, our stiffening resolve against extremism all symbolize our pakistaniyat. With time after weeding out the divisive elements within us, those who gain from pitting us against each other we will attain the promise of this nation. The promise that all of us in our heart of hearts believe in. The promise that led to so many of our forefathers, ordinary citizens sacrificing their lives during partition. The promise that led so many of our compatriots to leave everything they knew for a distant ideal called Pakistan.
Lahore Celebrates
Our bad governance, corruption, lawlessness, load shedding, worsening economy weigh us down. Makes us despair, even leads some to harbor thoughts of abandoning Pakistan. However its moments like Sunday night that make us forget all our problems. It makes us feel truly proud to be Pakistani, a feeling that emanates deep down from inside every Pakistani. No divisive politician or militant, foreign agencies or armies can ever overcome this feeling. its just not possible. Our national heroes, our amazing cricket team just proved that.
Pakistan hamesha zindabad!!
Karachi Celebrates-----
Photos Credit: AP
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