We have Nothing, Yet We are happy

 

We Have Nothing, Yet We Have Everything — And We’re Happy

We are one of the world’s most populous nations, born on August 14, 1947, after immense struggle, sacrifice, and hope. Pakistan was carved out as a homeland for those who longed for freedom, dignity, and belonging. Seventy-eight years later, the dream still carries both its struggles and its shining victories.

Yes, our story is not perfect. Our currency falters, electricity often disappears like a mischievous guest, and basic amenities such as clean water remain out of reach for many. Our working-class heroes toil endlessly: paying taxes, saving for modest homes, carrying bills heavier than their shoulders, and yet walking every day with dignity.

And yet—despite all this—our people laugh, our children dream, and our streets are filled with resilience.

---

Geography Written by God’s Own Hands

Pakistan is not just a country on the map. It is a canvas.

Our northern areas, often unsupervised and underfunded, remain some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Snow-draped mountains, rivers that cut through valleys like silver threads, and hospitality so warm that strangers turn into family over a cup of tea. In Hunza, Skardu, and Fairy Meadows, travelers often find what modern life has forgotten: peace.

---

The Brilliance of Our Students

We may not have the latest resources or glittering institutions like the world’s richest countries, but our students shine beyond barriers.

Think of Arfa Karim Randhawa, the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at just nine years old. A girl from Faisalabad, with no Silicon Valley background, who stunned the entire globe with her genius. She left the world too soon, but her light still guides our children.

There are countless others — mathematicians, scientists, poets, debaters, doctors, and entrepreneurs — who carved their way without privilege, proving that brilliance is not born from wealth but from will.

---

Tragedy That Couldn’t Break Us

On December 16, 2014, tragedy struck at the Army Public School, Peshawar, where terrorists opened fire and killed 175 students and teachers. It was an attempt to break our spirit.

But Pakistan did not crumble. Our people mourned, our mothers wept, but our army and citizens rose together to crush the menace of terrorism. It was one of the darkest days of our nation — yet it also became proof that Pakistanis refuse to surrender.

---

Karachi — The City of Chaos and Care

Take Karachi, our city of lights. With monsoon rains, the roads turn into rivers, and people leave their offices at 2 p.m. only to reach home near midnight. It feels like climbing Mount Everest in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

And yet, even in that chaos, something beautiful happens. Strangers roll down car windows to hand out water bottles. Others offer snacks, rides, or a place to rest. Humanity blooms in the cracks of crumbling infrastructure.

---

Nothing, Yet Everything

We may not have the luxury of uninterrupted electricity. Our currency may be weak. Our leaders may falter. But we have something far more precious:

• Faith that tomorrow will be better.
  
  

• Families that stand together through storms.
  
  

• Dreams that no inflation can destroy.
  
  

• Hospitality that makes even foreigners feel at home.
  
  

Pakistan is not just about what we lack. It is about what we give. We have laughter in our tea stalls, poetry in our streets, resilience in our floods, and hope in the eyes of our children.

We may have “nothing” compared to some nations. But in spirit, love, and humanity — we have everything.

And that’s why, despite it all… we are happy.

Pakistan

Resilience

Happiness

Global Stories

Humanity

Hospitality

Arfa Karim

Army Public School

Karachi

Northern Areas