In a world where many nations and people long for peace, human rights, freedom and good governance, we, as Pakistanis, are fortunate enough to enjoy most of these most of the time. And while we cannot claim to be the reason for the freedom we have as a nation, it is unfortunate that we are behind all that we lack today.

A free nation was handed over to us by the struggles of our freedom fighters, especially Mohammad Ali Jinnah, but all that was done to turn that promising free country into a state that is still struggling is our fault. We have not been able to bring prosperity and progress to our country because we could not follow the examples of the leaders who made this nation. We had such lofty personalities, possessing great integrity, discipline and selfless dedication, whose teachings and footsteps we simply had to follow to prosper. But we failed them. We failed ourselves and our country.

I know it sounds very pessimistic, but this is the reality, and one can only progress through accepting the reality, owning one’s mistakes and learning from failures. We need to look into what we are doing wrong today. This can be best done by looking at what our great leaders did right and what personality traits they possessed that made them follow the right path and do the right things. And who better do we have than our great Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was admired and respected by both his friends and rivals for the great personality traits that he possessed. Even those who did not agree with him politically, did admire him as a person and vouched for his character.

Let us look into some of the personality traits that made him such a charismatic and influential leader who left a great mark in history. While we are doing so, let us also ask ourselves if we possess any of these noble qualities, and do our leaders today reflect any of the admirable character traits of Jinnah?

A selfless leader

As a statesman, leader and the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a selfless visionary who always acted for the greater good rather than for personal gains. He, like most of the leaders with him and others who supported the newly-created nation of Pakistan, gave up and contributed so much personally and financially.

Not caring for his health, wealth, or personal life, Jinnah worked tirelessly till the end to make sure the Muslims of the Subcontinent had a free country of their own and the people of the nascent nation enjoyed liberty, justice and peace.

Alas, today we first think of what we can gain from any act before taking even a single step. And if we have little to gain but others will benefit more from it, we step back because we have stopped caring for our fellow countrymen, for the greater good. We have become selfish and self-engrossed — unconcerned about what is happening around us until it starts to affect us.

We need to realise that until everyone around us progresses, until our nation as a whole progresses, our progress is meaningless. Until everyone gets their rights, we cannot hope to get our rights too.

A man of character

One of the first impressions that come to mind on hearing the name Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is that of a man of integrity, principles, incorruptibility and honour, among many other such noble characteristics.

He maintained a high standard of personal and political ethics that earned him admirers not just among his friends, supporters and fellow leaders, but his integrity too was never questioned by even his opponents.

British economist and editor, H.V. Hudson writes about Quaid’s character in his book The Great Divide: “Not even his political enemies ever accused Jinnah of corruption or self-seeking. He could be bought by no one, and for no price. Nor was he in the least degree weathercock, swinging in the wind of popularity or changing the times. He was a steadfast idealist as well as a man of scrupulous honour.”

Today, there are few, if not none, among us who is free from corruption or self-seeking acts that undermine the progress of our nation.

A pillar of courage and resilience

Like all nations who gained independence, Pakistan too faced many challenges in its creation. It was Jinnah’s courage, determination and resilience that made him face all opposition during the struggle for Pakistan’s creation.

When his political journey witnessed many ups and downs, when his values and principles were a target of criticism and opposition from different communities, it was his courage and resilience that made him face it all without deviating from his goal.

I believe we do have resilience as a nation, since we manage to rise and survive despite the many problems we face, both from internal and external forces. If we combine our reliance with the courage to stand up for our rights and what is right, we too can rise above our circumstances and prosper.

Commitment to equality

Equality and social justice were the cornerstones of all that Jinnah worked for. He envisioned not just a free land for the Muslims of the Subcontinent to live, but a nation where all citizens, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, would have equal rights and opportunities.

It is a pity that this vision of our dear Quaid remains unfulfilled. But by realising that until each one of us gets all the rights they deserve, we too will not be able to get all the rights we should have. So we must ensure to raise our voice for the rights of others, so that our rights too are ensured.

A visionary and steadfast leader

Jinnah’s clear vision for the creation of a separate nation for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent was what led him to be undeterred in the pursuit for the establishment of Pakistan in 1947.

As a visionary leader with lofty aims he was able to inspire others to give their best and stand strong in the face of opposition, since he remained steadfast in his mission. He led by example, but slowly, with the passage of time, we are losing sight of the examples he set for us to follow. Individually, we do have the characteristics that are needed in the citizens of any great country, but we fail to come together as a nation due to the absence of a leader who can unite and lead us out of the mess we are in.

But the good part is that our condition today, as citizens of an independent country, is not as bad as of the oppressed Muslims under colonial rule who followed Jinnah. What is missing is a leader who can inspire and unite us, make us think beyond our personal interests to work for the betterment of Pakistan.

Our leaders today are simply a reflection of our own selves, they rise from us and so they represent us. What they lack is what we lack. So what they need to possess is what we need to possess too. So let us cultivate the qualities that our Quaid embodied, let us follow his footsteps and take our nation out of the problems we are in today.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 23rd, 2023