Muhammad Zeeshan
In the fast-changing world of today, Pakistan’s youth stand at a crossroads. They are deeply connected to the modern world through technology, yet increasingly disconnected from their cultural and emotional roots. The glow of smartphones and the lure of global trends have shaped their worldviews, but in doing so, have also blurred their sense of self. What once anchored identity, such as language, tradition, and heritage, now fades into the background as borrowed values take center stage.
This confusion is not only cultural but emotional and existential. When a society begins to value borrowed identities over inherited ones, it risks losing its moral compass. The education system plays a major role in this loss. It often celebrates Western achievements and ideas while neglecting local heroes, history, and traditions. Students are taught to admire foreign role models but rarely learn about those who built their own nation. As a result, many young people grow up dreaming of working abroad instead of contributing to their homeland. This leads to a fractured sense of belonging, a generation connected to the internet but detached from its own soil.
In universities and social spaces, many young Pakistanis imitate global lifestyles without understanding their cultural context. The songs of the soil are forgotten, the wisdom of elders dismissed as “old-fashioned,” and the national literature left unread. This imitation creates an identity vacuum, a state where one feels modern but is uncertain of who they truly are. A young person may speak flawless English, wear international brands, and quote Western philosophers, yet struggle to recite a verse by Iqbal or Faiz, poets who once defined the spirit of the nation.
English fluency and global aesthetics have become symbols of intelligence and progress. Meanwhile, Urdu, regional languages, and indigenous traditions are quietly fading away. In this silent transformation, a dangerous message is being absorbed: that to be “modern,” one must abandon the past. This has left a generation feeling enlightened yet emotionally empty, proud of global awareness but unsure of their own story.
However, true progress does not come from replacing one culture with another; it comes from harmonizing the best of both. The solution lies in creating an education system and social environment that celebrate balance, where global knowledge and local wisdom coexist. Pakistani youth must be encouraged to engage with the world while staying rooted in their identity, their history, and their language. A truly educated person should be able to appreciate Shakespeare and Iqbal with equal passion, to code a program in English while cherishing the poetry of Urdu.
If this harmony is not restored, cultural mimicry will continue to breed rootlessness, a nation of talented minds with no sense of belonging, and hearts that no longer recognize home. Pakistan’s future depends on a generation that can look outward without forgetting to look inward. Reconnecting with one’s cultural soul is not a step backward; it is a necessary act of preservation, a way to ensure that in chasing the world, we do not lose ourselves.
