On 14th August 1987, on Independence Day, the song “Dil Dil Pakistan” was released by the pop group Vital Signs. I was 11 at the time studying in grade 6. This song became very popular and reached the status of a Pop Anthem or Second National Anthem of Pakistan. Everyone was singing it and Vital Signs became the most popular group in the country. I remember that I had very painstakingly (since I am not musically gifted at all) learnt to play the tune of this song on my music player.
In the 2003 BBC World Service international poll of the ten most famous songs of all time, Dil Dil Pakistan was third.
The melody, lyrics and the video of the song were very simple. It appealed to the common person.
This song takes me back to a time before the Taliban came to Pakistan, before there were suicide bombings and before sectarianism had reached extremes. When we were not even thinking about leaving the country, when we sung about our love for our homeland. This is the time when with pride in our hearts we would decorate our house with the national flag on Independence Day and sing the National anthem when it was played on TV.
(The song translated from Urdu)
This land and this sky,
Where would we go except here,
May this light forever illuminate,
May this caravan keep going.
My Heart Pakistan, My Soul Pakistan
When hearts meet,
true love is created,
When flowers are strung,
a garland is created,
My Heart Pakistan, My Soul Pakistan
Our home is more beloved to us
Than our heart and our soul
It is more beloved to us
Than our every wish.
My Heart Pakistan, My Soul Pakistan
What happened to us? How did we change so much in less than a lifetime? I ask these questions as I sit in another country thousands of miles away from my homeland. Did I really have to give it up so easily? Did it not deserve more of an effort on my part?
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Zainab,
you catch my heart, very truly written and i totally agree with you. Too much things have changed, we have changed our country changed, our prides have now vanished. People are just busy in running away from Pakistan and settling their lives in aboard. But why ? why they don’t try to be true Pakistani again and sang this song everyday, rather than only on Independence Day..??? so many questions but very few solutions. 😦
Yes it’s very sad, the state of affairs of our country. Each government has failed to improve the situation. Then where does the solution lie?
The solution is young generation of our country (We). but Govt. is supporting them completely. And not even Govt. bother to give peace to the country.
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Thank you for mentioning my post! You write beautifully!
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed my writing.
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