Sherazi 1

Abdullah Muhammad Sherazi

Prof. Michael Miller
College Writing 1 ESL
ESSAY final draft

Oh My Pure Land
Askari Bank Ltd (formerly Askari Commercial Bank) is a commercial and retail
bank in Pakistan. Though it was founded in 1991 as a public bank, it has been operated
by a subsidiary of the Army called the Fauji Group since 2013. In Urdu, the national
language of Pakistan, Fauji means soldier. This advertisement campaign was
launched on September 6th, a holiday known as 'Defense Day' which is much like
Memorial Day in America. With intensely patriotic music and beautiful views of the
countryside, this advertisement is a touching tribute to servicemen who lost their lives
defending Pakistan.
The advertisement starts with a deeply comforting voice intoning For whose
khaki color, many bodies dried... whose safety became a lifetime promise for some as
beautiful landscapes of Northern Pakistan grace the screen: shiny, blue rivers reflecting
the sun, majestic mountain ranges with sparkling white ice-capped peaks melting into
tributaries, and large sandy plains, with dust that is forever restless. A handsome young
man wearing a camel brown leather jacket and aviator sunglasses is in the passenger seat
of a camouflage green Army Jeep on his way to Lahore, a main city in central Pakistan.
As the man's journey begins, the advertisement shows that like any other peaceful
place, Pakistan is also peaceful. Many inhabitants surround the city. A wise, old man with

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a white beard is reciting tasbih, traditional prayer beads, at the corner of a shop. The
playful, lively and innocent kids wave at our traveler as he passes. He helps another old
man load a blue box over a vividly painted typical Pakistani wagon which was going to
Lahore. From his seat on the wagon he watches the beautiful views pass by the window.
At one point in his journey, he encounters a cricket match, which is the most played and
celebrated national sport of Pakistan. The wagon stops for refreshments at a nearby
Dhabba, a local caf. While he is having a cup of Chai, a child brings him a flag of
Pakistan, causing him to remember his past which is portrayed with muted colors.
He is reminded of his best friend and in a time lapse sequence, he sees how they
have grown up together. They shared common passion ever since they were young;
whenever they looked at a picture of a Shaheed, Martyr of war, they hoped to become
soldiers one day. He remembers one Independence Day, August 14th, where they held
their Pakistani flags high in air and ran in the streets with the other kids all wearing
Shalwar Kameez, the national dress. Moving forward in time, the running children in the
streets becomes parading soldiers at a military training ground. The friends train together
and perform the heavy/hard training in order to serve the country. The memory ends on
their graduation day when they became official cadets, ready to serve their country. As
the traveler comes back to the present, he smiles.
At the next stop, the soldier explores a river at the base of a mountain, where
young people are swimming carefree. He rolls his sleeves up and washes his face with the
cool, fresh mountain water. He finds a connection with the water and himself. After
getting back on the bus, he watches two friends taking a selfie-picture from their phone in
the bus. He takes his phone out and looks at the picture of him and his friend and once

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again he is reminded of his past. In the flashback, he sees them spending time together
when away from home, practicing to shoot and playing volleyball. He also remembers
when his friend carved a horse out of wood and wanted that it should be given to his son
if he should die.
Now in the present, the soldier arrives at his final destination in Lahore, where his
friend's family lives. On the way to the home, he offers the prayers at Badshahi Mosque,
a Historic National monument of Pakistan. While praying, the soldier again recalls the
past, this time a the military operation when he saw his friend for the last time. With a
background of bomb explosions and bullets in the air, the two soldiers, along with the
allied force, tore down the operational area. In the chaos of war, the enemy shoots his
friend but before he could reach him, a second bullet takes his life. This is how another
soldier sacrificed his life fighting to defend the country.
The traveler reaches his friend's home with a distinct sadness in his eyes. He
watches his friend's father and son setting up flag-lets of Pakistan all over the house for
Independence Day. The dad greets his deceased sons friend with bittersweet feelings of
happiness and sorrow. Tears rolls down his face as he hugs his son's friend.
In the meantime, a beautiful young woman appears. She is too young to be a
widow. It is hard to imagine what it would have been like for her when she heard the
news of her husband's death. The traveler gives her his friend's belongings. He gives the
wooden horse to his son and puts his Army cap on the boy's head. When the boy saluted
with pride and was ready to serve his country like his dad, tears continue to fall down his
grandfather's weary face. The advertisement ends with the Martyr's picture, a shrine-like

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memorial on the wall of his family's home. As the scene fades, the caption Our Salute to
the Martyrs of the Motherland! closes the ad.
This remarkably patriotic advertisement is unlike any I have ever seen. Many
techniques were used to make this ad so unforgettable. For example, the music used in
the background is intensely nostalgic. Sung by Mehdi Hassan, a legendary Pakistani
singer during the trying times of Pakistans War of 1965, the song Aye Meray Pak
Watan translates to Oh my pure land. It is a one of the most moving national songs for
Pakistanis due to its remorseful melody and strong patriotic lyrics. It sets the perfect
mood for this advertisement, which is revering our heroes and patriotism. Also, this song
was written during a time of war; reusing the song in this ad honors the lives of the many
soldiers, like those in the ad, who are currently fighting The War on Terrorism.
The graphics and camerawork in this advertisement is most worthy of applause.
From capturing the beautiful aerial shots of vast landscapes to capturing the minutest true
expressions on people's faces, it is executed adeptly and is truly commendable. The use of
modern technology for special effects to show explosives and bullets is deceiving to
human senses and it feels too real. The idea of using muted tones to show the scenes from
the past also helps the audience understand the chronology of the events presented in this
vignette. It is through these techniques that audience was able to profoundly relate to the
advertisement.
A lot of references to Pakistani culture help the audience to fully connect to the
emotions in the ad, for instance, reciting tasbih, traveling in colorful wagon, playing
cricket, eating at a Dhabba, swimming in a local river and celebrating 14th August to the
fullest. These may just be but a few examples of life in Pakistan, but the value of these

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activities only a citizen of Pakistan can know. This helped Askari Bank gain favor among
Pakistans local audience.
This advertisement is more than an advertisement; it also has a great message.
Starting with beautiful lands of Pakistan and happy people and ending on a loss of
someones family, the advertisement shows an irony in Pakistan. The recent War on
Terror has taken so many people away from their loved ones. Pakistan is such a
beautiful country, although in recent years, the time has been trying us. But we should
not back away; instead, all Pakistanis should play part to defend the safety and
sovereignty of our beloved country and help it prosper more than ever.
Because my father is an officer in the Army, I hated it when I was little. He
always seemed to be called to duty and away from home when I needed him most.
Eventually, when I grew up, he helped me understand that the tranquil sleep I take is
because of the army soldiers who are outside, ensuring our security. They have staked
their sleep so that I could have mine. Now that I am older, I respect what the Army stands
for so much that even I am eager to join. Defending my country with pride will ensure
that the blood of the martyrs will not have been shed in vain.