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).
The picture of this girl has been haunting me ever since it was posted on your blog. I cannot get any sleep over the past day or so. This girl’s responsibility is as much as our own. So is our responsibility which is often forgotten amidst all the mayhem. It is as much or even more than this girl’s. The tears in her eyes are our tears. But the tears in our eyes are not hers. It is ours. It is our nation’s tears. Just because we cry it does not mean it is just our tears. It is also the tears of all Pakistanis. When Pakistanis cry, we all have tears.
My best wishes to Pakistani friends for a happy, peaceful, and prosperous year!
As always, ATP pictures are so beautiful!!
Mr. Adnan Siddiqi, yo have still not apologized for lying about Iqbal in the other post despite repeated requests. Should we assume you are again lying here to give cover to your Taliban friends?
Very striking picture and writeup.
I fully agree. However, it is clear that the urge to see a foreign hand is itself a strategy by Taliban defenders. They are purposely spreading confusion and trying to move focus away from the real enemy, the Taliban, to give cover to these enemies of Pakistan.
Javed, As per my knowledge, DG ISPR Mr.Abbas is not a Taliban defender as he has played vital role in operation.
http://thenews.com.pk/print3.asp?id=25354
Similarly both Gillani and Rehman Malik are not pro-Talibans either.
And No, this would be another year to educate and expose Western and Indian apologists who get ready to do anything to hide the truth and paint everything from a same brush.