Pakistan, Aug. 11 -- Every language tends to change. So do its words and meanings. Sometimes the meanings of its most cherished words also change. This linguistic evolution provides an important lens through which we can read the history of Pakistan. In doing so, let us crawl through the semantic shift of the word Azadi.

On 13 August 1947, as the clock struck midnight, the air in a newly independent nation resonated with a powerful word: Azadi. For millions who left everything behind and embarked on the journey to Pakistan, it embodied freedom from colonial rule, the promise of dignity, and the dawn of a new future. It symbolised the hope that future generations would live and prosper with freedom, security, and opportunity.

Not surpris...