Every joy has its own way of celebration, an etiquette, and a culture. If joy becomes a pain for others, if celebration puts someone's life in danger, if entertainment increases the agony of a sick person, and if the expression of freedom turns into freedom from law, morality, and social responsibility, then we should seriously consider which direction we are heading.

On August 14, 2026, Pakistan celebrated its 79th Independence Day. National flags were hoisted across the country, buildings were decorated with green and white lights, national songs echoed, and people expressed their love for Pakistan with full zeal and fervor. Undoubtedly, living nations celebrate their national days with enthusiasm and make the new generation aware of the value and price of their freedom. However, the question is not about celebrating, but rather how we celebrate. This time, the many videos that surfaced on social media and the scenes witnessed on the streets forced one to think whether we are forgetting the fine but extremely important line between freedom and unruliness.

Somewhere, youths were removing silencers from their motorcycles and making noise on the streets; elsewhere, huge plastic horns (bajas) were being blown deafeningly; and at some places, intersections had become centers of activities where national dignity and collective discipline were less visible, and commotion was far more apparent. In some instances, young boys and girls were seen celebrating and dancing in a way that left no realization that a national day is not just an occasion for entertainment, but also represents a nation's history, sacrifices, and collective dignity. Whether male or female, on a national festival in public places, our attire, conversation, and behavior should reflect our cultural values and national dignity. The intention is not to target any single class or gender; the real point is that societal boundaries and the rights of others cannot be forgotten in the name of freedom.

This time, another regrettable trend also prominently came to the fore. Driven by the desire to create unique and viral videos for social media—especially TikTok and other video apps—some youths turned the celebration into a literal spectacle. Water bottles were thrown at each other, water was splashed, and acts were committed that not only created disorder on the streets but, in some places, forcefully dragged bystanders into this unwanted entertainment. In some videos, girls were seen dancing on the streets and in public places in drenched clothes, while people around them kept recording on their mobile phones. The issue here is not about criticizing someone's person or gender, but about this collective behavior where, for a few likes, views, and followers, the dignity of a national festival, personal boundaries, and the right to peace of others are completely ignored. If the desire to be popular on social media strips a person of civilization, caution, and responsibility, then it is not entertainment but a serious social issue.

Our younger generation must understand that not every act that looks interesting in front of a mobile camera is necessarily civilized and worthy of imitation. A few thousand views of a TikTok video are forgotten in a few days, but the collective image projected on a national day remains the identity of the society for a long time. Throwing water bottles at each other, harassing pedestrians, dancing on the streets, blocking traffic by gathering crowds, performing dangerous stunts just to make a video, and then presenting them on social media as an achievement forces us to think about the concept of fame we are passing on to the new generation. Parents, educational institutions, and social media influencers themselves must realize their responsibility in this regard.

The most painful scenes were those in which some children and youths were seen amusing themselves by blowing massive horns right next to the ears of voiceless animals, especially street dogs. Animals cannot speak, they cannot complain, but they certainly feel pain, fear, and agony. Tormenting a voiceless creature just for personal entertainment or to make a social media video is not a celebration, but a glaring question mark on our collective upbringing. We must teach our children that mercy, compassion, and empathy are also the hallmarks of a civilized nation.

Similarly, in some videos, highly dangerous methods were seen, such as attaching a horn to a domestic gas cylinder, opening the valve, and continuously producing an extremely loud, piercing sound. Perhaps no one bothered to think that there could be a sick person nearby, an elderly heart patient, a sleeping newborn baby, or someone simply incapable of tolerating such an agonizing noise. Destroying the peace of an entire neighborhood for a few moments of joy is not freedom. Freedom does not mean that if I own a motorcycle, I remove its silencer and force the whole city to acknowledge my presence, nor does freedom mean snatching the peace of other citizens with horns, trumpets, and screaming.

Then look at the condition of our roads. Every year on national festivals, a multitude of youths demonstrate such stunts and speed with motorcycles and cars as if traffic laws are also on holiday. One-wheeling, speeding, dangerous overtaking, piling more than the prescribed number of people on a motorcycle, traveling without a helmet, and underage children driving vehicles cannot be part of any celebration. A few moments of reckless thrill sometimes turn into a lifelong regret.

Amidst this very atmosphere of Independence Day celebrations, a tragic accident occurred on Canal Road near Harbanspura in Lahore, where five people lost their lives and a child was injured. A speeding car went out of control and hit a tree, and in mere moments, the joys of several homes turned into mourning. Such incidents remind us that a road accident is not just a statistic. With every accident, a mother's son, a sister's brother, a woman's husband, a child's father, or a family's entire future is tied. We leave home to celebrate, but our carelessness should not lay a mourning mat in someone else's home.

Here, the responsibility of parents increases manifold. Handing the keys of a motorcycle or car to an underage child is not love; sometimes, it is throwing them into a danger whose severity they cannot even estimate. If children take vehicles out early in the morning and parents are not even aware of where they are and how they are driving, then we must seriously reflect on our domestic discipline and upbringing. Sharing in the joys of children is important, but supervision, guidance, and setting boundaries are fundamentally the responsibilities of the parents.

However, putting all the blame on children and parents does not absolve the government and administration. If governments can block roads for political gatherings and rallies, deploy heavy contingents of police, and regulate specific activities, then why can't a clear and effective safety plan be implemented on the occasion of a national festival? On August 13 and 14, special crackdowns should be carried out against one-wheeling, driving motorcycles without silencers, underage driving, dangerous racing, unusual noise, public-tormenting horns, and hooliganism on the streets. Strict enforcement of noise laws around hospitals, residential areas, and sensitive locations is absolutely essential. This is not restricting freedom; this is making freedom civilized and safe.

Similarly, in the age of social media, the administration must understand a new reality. Today, dangerous activities are not just done for the thrill, but specifically to film a video and go viral. The more unusual and reckless the act a youth performs, the more views they expect to get. This desire frequently manifests as dangerous driving, commotion on the streets, throwing water, harassing others, and inappropriate behavior. Law enforcement agencies must pay timely attention to such activities, but even more crucial is social upbringing, because the police cannot be the solution to every single problem.

We need to change our culture of celebrating Independence Day. The youth do not need to be stopped from celebrating; rather, they need to be given better, constructive avenues. Let them wear green and white clothes, hoist the national flag, sing national songs, decorate houses and streets, hold events with friends, take photos and videos, and celebrate to the fullest. But they must remember one golden rule: my joy must not become a punishment for someone else.

Instead of removing the silencer of a motorcycle, the flag of Pakistan can be respectfully attached to it. Instead of one-wheeling, a safe cycling rally can be organized. Instead of unruly noise, there can be a graceful ceremony of national songs. Flowers can be taken to patients in hospitals, celebrations can be held with orphans, blood donations can be made, trees can be planted, neighborhoods can be cleaned, and salutes can be presented to the families of martyrs. In schools, colleges, and universities, speech, essay, and painting competitions can be held regarding Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Pakistan Movement.

The root of the problem is that instead of making national days opportunities for national character-building, we have largely reduced them to mere days of amusement. Our children are told to wear green clothes, put up paper buntings, and play national songs on August 14, but they are rarely taught why Pakistan was created, how many sacrifices were made for it, and what civic responsibilities accompany freedom. Children in schools should be taught that a good Pakistani does not break the law on the road, does not damage public property, does not torture animals, takes care of the peace of the sick and the elderly, and never puts another human's life in danger for their own entertainment.

The responsibility of mainstream and social media is equally vital. If, on a national day, only noise, motorcycles, crowds, dancing, and unruly entertainment are presented as the symbols of celebration, the new generation will naturally adopt this as the standard. We should highlight examples where a youth is helping an elderly person, a child is planting a tree, youths are donating blood, the national flag is being respectfully delivered to a martyr's home, and students are pledging to play their role in the progress of Pakistan. Nations do not become great just by chanting slogans or making viral videos; it is their collective character that makes them great.

Freedom is, in reality, another name for responsibility. A nation that does not learn responsibility alongside freedom gradually forgets the difference between freedom and anarchy. Stopping at a traffic signal is also patriotism. Respecting the law is patriotism. Caring for a sick person's rest is patriotism. Being kind to an animal is patriotism. Protecting national property is patriotism. And stopping your child from dangerous driving is also an act of profound love for the homeland.

We must explain to our new generation that Pakistan has given us freedom, not a license to snatch the freedom, respect, and peace of another human being. For future national festivals, the government must prepare a comprehensive strategy in collaboration with the police, traffic police, district administration, rescue agencies, educational institutions, media, and parents—a strategy where there is celebration and joy, but where respect for the law and human life remains paramount.

After 79 years, we must ask ourselves: in what form have we passed on the true meaning of freedom to our new generation? Is freedom merely the name of green clothes, paper flags, plastic horns, motorcycles, TikTok videos, and all-night noise? Or is freedom also the name of discipline, awareness, responsibility, respect, lawfulness, and protecting the rights of others?

Pakistan is a sacred trust born of the struggles and sacrifices of our elders. Respecting this trust will not happen merely by hoisting the national flag, but through our character. By all means, celebrate. Celebrate fully, celebrate with your children and friends, take photos and videos too. But celebrate in such a way that no house is left mourning, no mother's lap is emptied, no patient's suffering increases, no animal is tortured, no pedestrian's peace is ruined, and absolutely no one has to pay the price for our momentary entertainment with their life or dignity.

It has been 79 years since we gained freedom; it is high time we also learned the etiquette of celebrating it.