Every 23rd of March is celebrated in Pakistan as an important epoch in the history of the country because on this day in 1940, the Lahore Resolution or PAS Resolution was duly passed laying a firm vision of an independent state. Pakistan Day should be an occasion for introspection as the nation marks another Pakistan Day. It has been seventy-eight years since Pakistan achieved statehood, has Pakistan fulfilled the promise on which the Lahore Resolution envisioned statehood? It is a serious question that should be scrutinized from the viewpoints of political, economic, and social development.

Pakistan’s journey after independence is a saga of great accomplishments despite great odds.

The Pakistan Resolution was, in the beginning, the Lahore Resolution, a demand for a separate homeland, but also an aspiration for justice, equality, and democracy. However, this transition from a dream into reality has been in turbulent waters. Without a doubt, Pakistan’s journey after becoming independent is a saga of great accomplishments despite great odds.

Pakistan was filled with enormous economic hurdles from the start. Partition left the country with meager infrastructure, a lack of financial stability, and an economy that was in shambles. However, despite these setbacks Pakistan made an early showing of growth especially visible in the 1960s under President Ayub Khan. From 1960 to 1965, the GDP in Pakistan grew at an approximate rate of 6.8% annually as per the figures of the World Bank. It surged into industrialization, and the nation became for just a while a billboard of economic progress in South Asia. The problem is that subsequent decades have not been so forgiving.

However, Pakistan’s economic condition today is caught in recurrent crises and constant dependence on external help. Ordinary citizens struggle to bear the inflation currently hovering around 30 percent, as of January to March 2024, with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, which also paves the way to suffering poverty and unemployment. According to recent IMF reports, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio has exponentially risen, from well over 90%. There is an immediate need for structural reform and governance that was once optimistic but now economically vulnerable.

On the political front, Pakistan’s democratic arc has been wildly up and down. Frequent military coups (four major military coups since independence) have derailed the democratic evolution, which the founding fathers had always envisioned as a democratic welfare state. If Pakistan is functioning democratically on paper today, the real thing of democratic consolidation has not been worked out. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where 180 countries are ranked, Pakistan comes out at 140 in 2023 to reflect the extent of the entangled governance crisis in the country.

Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio has exponentially risen, now exceeding 90%.

Often they are plagued by perceptions of partiality and/or inefficiency, not only about political parties but also about judiciary and institutional mechanisms that are supposed to defend democracy. Political instability born out of institutional fragility directly impacts politics, not only poorly implemented but also does not permit much or little room for workable solutions from a policy perspective. Recent extreme episodes of political polarization have exposed the deeper fractures within Pakistan’s political fabric and ensured that such progress in democracy can be sustained.

There is also another domain of reflection a domain related to security and regional relations. Pakistan’s geographical location is geopolitically strategic but also vulnerable. Relations with neighboring India sore from such historical tensions as in Kashmir. A total of 158 conflict-related fatalities were reported on the India-Pakistan border in 2022, but persistent tensions are demonstrated by this.

It has continued to profoundly influence Pakistan’s security calculus on the Afghan frontiers. The resurgence of militant groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) poses severe challenges. Of the 2023 terrorist attacks, 700 were executed by the TTP, a 70 percent increase from the previous year, which requires serious attention to urgent security threats. Therefore, maintaining Pakistan’s internal security is closely knitted with its regional stability and diplomatic strategy.

Socially, Pakistan faces chronic challenges. However, alarmingly, gender disparities are still very pronounced and the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index puts Pakistan at 142nd out of 146 countries in 2023. Notably, the literacy rate is disheartening at a point of around 62%, showing severe educational deficits. The country is split along sectarian lines and is faced with religious extremism and poverty.

However, despite that, Pakistan is extraordinarily resilient and potentially more. The productive age receives an influx of demographic opportunities as its youthful population consists of over 60% of people under 30 of age. Investing in technology-driven industries, digitizing governance, and revitalizing education and healthcare could lay the foundations for Pakistan to make a move toward sustainable development.

Some of these are shown in the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. CPEC’s shaft of investment, estimated at over $60 billion, will deliver interconnectedness, energy security, and economic integration. Nonetheless, to reap these benefits, governance has to be transparent, and there is a need for a strategic vision in addition to sustained diplomatic acumen.

To move forward, we must truthfully accept that our shortcomings must be dealt with decisively if we are to fulfill the promises of 1940.

As we reflect Pakistan Day that doesn’t bring happy times for us as Pakistan has gone a long way from the Lahore Resolution and now. Much of this has been uneven progress towards high aspirations that were only partially met. To move forward, we must truthfully accept that our shortcomings must be dealt with decisively if we are to fulfill the promises of 1940.

In the end, Pakistan’s future largely depends on the willing commitment to the core tenets of democracy justice, and socio-economic equity that were spelt out in the Lahore Resolution. So, as the nation celebrates Pakistan Day this year and as the nation promises to shape a just, prosperous, and resilient Pakistan in its true dreams, there is no time than now to reaffirm this collective pledge to build a Pakistan.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.