Pakistan 2010: Our Future Is Our Own

Adil Najam

From all of us at Pakistaniat.com, and on behalf of all our readers too, we wish the young girl in this photograph a wonderful New Year and a prosperous and peaceful 2010.

Her future is our own.

As she stares at the camera, and indeed at us, her eyes capture a sentiment that is also our own. A sense of  fear, but also one of resolve. One cannot know what she was thinking as this photograph was taken. But in looking at this photograph on this new year’s day, 2010, one cannot help think about the future and what it may hold for her, and for all of us. On this new year’s day, let us understand that – for good or for bad – our future will be what we ourselves will make of it.

The grand schemes of history and its attendant forces certainly structure the choices that we confront, but let us never forget that it is we ourselves who have to make the choices, no matter how tough the choices may be. The weaker and more fragmented we are ourselves, the more vulnerable we will be to the forces outside our control. It can be comforting to pass the blame to others, but even when there is much justification in doing so, it is not very useful unless we ourselves are willing to make the right choices.

Making those right choices – often tough choices – is our responsibility and no one else’s. It is our responsibility to history, to ourselves, and to the young girl in this photograph.

Let us make no mistake, our future is our own. And so is this girl’s.

P.S. This year, like in the year before, we have again chosen a photograph by one of our favorite Pakistani photographers, Umair Ghani (here, here, here, here).