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Today marks 78 years of Pakistan’s independence, a moment to celebrate, but also to reflect. While August 14 has always been a day of patriotic pride, this year’s posts from celebrities have carried both heartfelt wishes and calls for action.

Alongside the familiar green-and-white tributes, many have spoken about the work that still lies ahead, from protecting rights to ensuring safety and equality for all.

Model Zhalay Sarhadi summed up the mood with a wish for “prosperity for our country and our countrymen and women,” adding that independence should be exercised “with responsibility, humility, basic civic duty, ethics and morality.”

She also shared her prayer for the country: “My prayers are that common laws are implemented, animal rights are exercised, basic human rights are upheld, women can have a safer, nonjudgmental environment… Amen to that! May unity, faith and discipline guide us through!”

Malala Yousafzai took a lighter route. The country’s only Nobel Peace Prize laureate shared a cheeky, photoshopped image of herself and husband Asser Malik, including one of her mid batting. She captioned the post, “Happy Independence Day!”

Cricketer Shaheen Afridi expressed his pride rather poetically. “I carry my nation in my heart and its flag in my soul… Pakistan is our pride, our power, our eternal flame. May we protect it, honour it, and raise its flag higher every day,” he wrote.

Actor Muneeb Butt marked the occasion by sharing a rooftop fireworks video, dedicating this year’s Independence Day to Pakistan’s soldiers and the nation’s recent military success in the conflict with India earlier this year.

His wife, actor Aiman Khan, kept it short and sweet, posting a family photo with the caption, “Long live Pakistan.”

Actor Ramsha Khan admitted the fireworks startled her — but still added, “Pakistan Zindabad!”

Meanwhile, Mawra Hocane shared a picture of her window glowing with green fairy lights, wishing her “beautiful country” a happy Independence Day.

Veteran actor Hina Khwaja Bayat delivered one of the day’s most thought-provoking messages. She reminded followers that Pakistan’s creation “wasn’t just the result of a fight for freedom, it was a jihad”, not just against oppression, but against the self. “Let’s not take it for granted,” she urged. “With the fear of God in our hearts, let us do the right thing, refuse to aid injustice, and take our country forward in a constructive manner.”

Actor Ahsan Mohsin Ikram also used the day to highlight a pressing safety concern — aerial firing. Sharing a Dawn report on a child’s death and 95 injuries from aerial firing in Karachi on the eve of Independence Day, he urged, “It is my humble request to everyone, please don’t support or be a part of any activity that involves aerial firing. It kills innocent people every year.”

From lighthearted greetings to earnest pledges and public safety reminders, Pakistan’s famous faces are reminding us that celebrating independence also means recommitting to the values and responsibilities that come with it.