Waking Up the Conscience ?| A degree is merely an entry pass, while skills are your ultimate ticket.

In every local teahouse, drawing room, and social media circle across Pakistan, a section of society has been waiting with a lit candle for decades—"One day, this nation’s conscience will wake up!" These are the optimists who believe that when the cup of oppression overflows, when inflation, injustice, and apathy reach their peak, this nation will rise like a roaring revolution and sweep away all evils in a single stroke. But the question is: can a conscience that has fallen into such a deep and prolonged slumber ever truly awaken? The reality is that this nation’s energy is neither exhausted nor has its emotional fervor diminished—rather, it is just squandering all its potential in entirely the wrong direction. Our collective apathy is not only visible outside parliaments or courtrooms, but in the everyday events that mirror our true societal priorities. Take a look at the tragic incident that recently took place in Sialkot, where a massive wedding celebration (Mehndi) was organized for social media influencer 'Mr. Patloo'. It wasn’t just a gathering; it was an unruly, uncontrolled mob desperate to catch a glimpse of their favorite internet star. What was the result? Complete chaos, mismanagement, and a horrific stampede—leaving one citizen dead and 13 others injured. This incident is not merely an accident; it is a painful reflection of our national psychology. On one hand, the country and its people are being crushed under the millstones of injustice, usurped rights, and economic hardship. On the other hand, the public's emotional investment and obsession are such that they are willing to risk their very lives for the Mehndi of a TikToker. We never seem to find the will to take to the streets for our basic rights. When the constitution and rule of law are trampled, we remain silent spectators. When the innocent suffer, we simply scroll past. But when a viral face is put on display, we lose no time in creating a stampede and crushing one another. What conscience are we waiting to wake up? Conscience and awareness do not descend from the heavens through some miracle. Nations are defined by their priorities. When a society chooses entertainment as its obsession and injustice as its destiny, the "awakening" of its conscience remains nothing more than an illusion. The body that fell and the cries of the injured in Sialkot are asking us a profound question: Are all our senses alive only for cheap entertainment? If we cannot wake up for our existence, our dignity, and our future, then we must banish the delusion that any revolution will ever knock at our door. Because a nation that is ready to die for Mr. Patloo's Mehndi will never take the trouble to raise its voice against oppression.