The author Saesneg, is a journalist working in South Wales whose nosey about Pakistan and the rest of the world. He defines it best himself  ”Maybe I should mind my own business”. His blog can be found at Roznama-Bach

My mum would tell me off for complaining at Christmas – and seeing as Independence Day is a holiday I don’t see why she’d say any different today.

Fact is, US generals and others were predicting the death of Pakistan just a few months ago. One was as bold to give the country a deadline of two weeks to save itself. But despite bombings, suicide attacks, an insurgency, riots and other disturbances, the state is not the teetering Russian monarchy some imagined it would be, or wanted it to be, in 2009. And there’s plenty to be happy about.

For a start, Pakistani civil society is healthy. There is no way without the pressure of constant protests and the lawyer’s movement would General Pervez Musharraf have been forced out of office. Neither would it have suffered without the media playing irritant. Musharraf may have allowed Pakistan’s television channels to establish themselves, but they did not return the favour with slavish coverage when times got hard and – for a short time – they paid for their independence. Pakistan continues to have a thriving free press with reams and reams of coverage, some of it world class, not to mention a ridiculous number of news channels. There are plenty of eyes and ears watching the government are doing, and although there’s self-censorship there’s a healthy and developing public sphere.

Pressure from civil society manifested itself again into the Long March earlier in the year, holding Zardari to account and forcing the PPP government to bring back Chief Justice Chaudhry. It is difficult to imagine that a neo-Musharraf could retain control now without howls of opposition from the media, the judiciary, lawyers and ordinary members of the public. The quiet coup of 1999 could not take place now without provoking massive opposition – even with the incompetence of Asif Zardari as it is.

The resilience of Pakistanis was shown during the IDP crisis, which prompted mass acts of kindness among ordinary people. Although the figures of cash raised may not have been as high as during the 2005 earthquake, many homes, schools and other buildings opened their doors to the displaced during the Swat action. These provided shelter and food where IDP camps, riven with poor sanitation and a lack of resources, could not. It underlines that the concept of Pakistan is still strong among Pakistanis. Sport is a crude barometer of patriotism but the celebrations following the T20 shows the country still gets behind the flag, as it did in it’s widespread support for the military action against the Taliban in the north.

This deliberately positive article isn’t to decry Pakistan’s problems – of which I have written about many at my blog. Musharraf was of course replaced with a dynastic crook. Chief Justice Chaudhry was never exactly an unbiased party when he ruled the former president’s actions were unconstitutional. The country’s finances are a mess, while the Establishment remains convinced India is it’s biggest enemy and is still willing to make deals with men with guns and sue for peace. Protests can turn brutal, and Gojra showed Pakistan has a lot to reconcile with it’s minorities.

I could go on, but most of these issues are at state level, and I know not everything I listed above is perfect. But among the people there’s a lot to like in Pakistan.

Happy Independence Day.