Nobel Peace Prize 2014: On what Pakistan needs to learn

On that memorable day of 1947, when India achieved their independence with people all over the country celebrating the day, who would have thought that the other country which was formed as a result, would go on to be our country’s number one enemy.

With time, India has achieved various landmarks across different fields, such as science and technology, literature and sports. The recent successful Mars Mission is another feather in the cap of historical landmarks being reached by India. The only thing which sadly connects India and Pakistan is the continuous tension on the same old issue of Kashmir. It is almost assumed that the tensions would never stop regarding Pakistan’s claim for this state. Innocent people on both sides of the border have suffered over the years just because of Pakistan’s baseless violence over this issue. But on 10^th October, when the world was preparing for a new bilateral war on the Kashmir issue, a new era of dawn seemed to have undertaken both the nations. The Nobel Prize for peace had been jointly won by two persons, one from each of the two nations. Such an achievement was indeed a great development on the wakes of recent tensions in the areas adjoining the borders. But what Pakistan is perhaps missing is the fact that if a 17-year old girl from their country can bring such a huge honor on the grounds of peace, which Pakistan have been missing ever since their formation, why can’t their inhuman military forces stop the attack on innocent people which has been relevant for the past few days? Or has Pakistan lost the plot for bringing peace and serenity to their own image?

So, it was exactly a year ago when I was watching an interview of Malala Yousafzai, the young brave-heart from Pakistan, who had a near-death experience in the hands of the Taliban, when she was shot in her head due to her fight for the education of girls in her own country. I was very much moved by her emotional words and the way she bravely exclaimed that she may be afraid of ghosts but obviously not the Taliban. She has showcased herself as a great example of how people should deal with the motives of one’s lives and the ways to tackle the problems instead of leaning back and accepting them. The most intriguing fact she displayed was her forgiveness towards the men who mercilessly shot her. Her words, with her voice are simply heartwarming. Now, coming back to her countrymen, it feels so awkwardly shameless to even assert the fact that she belongs to the same array of people who have been heartlessly firing mortar shells and killing people in the border-lying villages of India. It hasn’t been even two decades since Malala’s birth, and yet she displays such an affectionate personality, which is enough to melt tensions in any place. The journey which she undertook two years ago when she was in a life and death situation, which made her the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Prize, is very motivating, to say the least. On the other hand, the person which she shares her Nobel Peace Prize is Kailash Satyarthi, a man who has dedicated his entire lifetime in rescuing child labours and helping to make their lives a better place. The works of Satyarthi is quite an appreciable task considering the amount of time he has given up to help children. Quitting a job at the age of 25, and dedicating his life for the rights of under-privileged children is an act of immense courage and humanity. The Nobel committee has made a great statement in naming two persons from India and Pakistan for the peace prize. The recent case of the ceasefire violation by the Pakistani army has made situation very intense in the border areas. At least 17 civilians have been killed and many people have been abandoning the villages in fear of the shelling being carried out from the Pakistan side. It is very sad to hear that the people of the border areas have been constantly facing problems ever since the independence. The obsession of Pakistan over the Kashmir region has always deteriorated relations between the two countries. The 26/11 had made relations even worse. In 2011, when Bin Laden was gunned down by the US military forces, who was hiding in Pakistan, the world perception over Pakistan as a country which funds or at least houses terrorists had been solidified. Pakistan should realize that terrorism is not a corrective path and that by using violence, nothing can be achieved. With Malala, becoming the first ever Pakistani Nobel laureate, by winning the peace prize, it is hoped that the Pakistani government realize its pathetic terror image and help rectify it before further damage. The two Nobel winners should actually pave the way for a new relation between the two countries, so that people from both sides live in peace and harmony.