A video by digital creator Khaqan Shahnawaz has started a big debate online after Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations on August 14. The video was a response to footage that showed crowds pushing and fighting over a public cake-cutting stall.
Instead of blaming the crowd, Shahnawaz said this kind of behavior comes from bigger problems, unequal opportunities, poor access to education, and years of neglect by richer and more powerful people. He said it isn’t fair for privileged social media users to call poorer people “illiterate” or “ill-mannered” when many of them never got a proper chance at school or a good life. He gave an example: if someone had never been sure they’d get a treat again, they might grab it out of fear of missing it, not because of bad character. He also said the real damage to Pakistan has been done by powerful people, not the common man.
The video split people into two groups. One side agreed with him, saying he was highlighting real and important issues that need attention. The other side pushed back strongly, saying that good manners and respect for public property come from upbringing at home, not from school education or money. Many pointed out they had met poor, uneducated people who were still polite and disciplined, while some wealthy, educated people behaved badly. Others said Pakistanis abroad, in places like the UAE, manage to behave well, so the problem isn’t only about poverty or education.
The discussion is still ongoing, with people debating whether poverty explains poor behavior or whether it comes down to personal choices.
