MERELY two days after the country celebrated its 76th Independence Day, the white in the national flag was splattered with blood stains.

Worryingly, it was not the first time such a thing happened. This time the scene was set in Jaranwala, close to Faisalabad in Punjab.

The `internal calling` of an overzealous mob led to violence and arson againstchurches andhouses ofthe local Christian community.

Unsuspecting women and children were forced to flee in panic and watch helplessly as their life belongings were vandalised and set afire.

This pattern of violence is not something we, the Pakistanis, have not witnessed before. By the looks of it, unfortunately, this is not the last time either. As painful as it is to admit, the sadrealityisthatthe rothasreached the very core of our nationhood. We keep talking about the challenges Pakistan faces on the economic and political front, blaming politicians and externalplayersfor addingto our misery. But when will we take a cold, hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves how we, the people, areadding to the country`s misery.

As a 17-year-old student who desperately wants to hold on to optimism and keep his patriotic streak alive, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile to the fact that maybe we are damaged beyond repair. I am sure there are many others feeling that way. In all honesty, it is notPakistan`s economic woes that are proving to be the biggest deterrent for me to stick around and serve my country; it is the moral corruption that has befallen this nation; us, the people. Myself included.

R ayaan Mahmood Malik Lahore