Addressing the Defence and
Martyrs Day ceremony Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “We both civil, military
have a common goal and that is to take this country forward.” He said the
Pakistani nation was destined to rise as all state institutions were determined
to work together, to make it great.“There is a myth of civil-military rift. A
myth of civil-military imbalance has been created. There is no such issue. We
have to elevate this country. All of us have a common goal of making the country
rise Our life and death; is for this country …,” Imran Khan said. He saluted the
valour and sacrifices of the Armed forces, which stood strong against all odds
in the aftermath of the 9/11 and the unconventional war that followed, to
safeguard the interests of the country.
6thSeptember (Defence Day) is one of the most important events of Pakistan’s
history. On this day the IndianArmy crossed the international borders without a
formal declaration of War. It was a time when not just our brave soldiers but
the whole nation was cast into the mould of a cohesive unit to defend our home
land, and defeated the Indian Army and made them retrieve from all fronts.The
seventeen-day war witnessed the largest tank battles since World War II, causing
thousands of casualties ON both sides, but remained militarily inconclusive.
Pakistan withstood the invasion of its territory by an enemy four times bigger
its size, and in doing so the whole nation stood up to the challenge with an
iron resolve. The nation mobilized at every level, where every child, man or
woman worked towards the war effort, be it to raise funds, train as civilian
guards, or as nurses in hospitals. Madam Noor Jehan took to the airwaves to sing
her inspirational war songs in praise of the defenders, and she became a symbol
of the indomitable will of the nation.
During the 1965 War, while the Armed forces were engaged in defending
geographical frontiers on ground, air and sea, the entire nation formed a strong
rock-like second defence line extending and providing all support to their
forces. In doing so, the people had forgotten which government was in power.
Pakistan emerged from the 1965 war as a strong and self-confident nation,
genuinely proud of itself and its Armed forces.It is this nationalism that is
celebrated on 6th September. A nationalism which says put the benefit of the
nation and those around you before your own. A type of thinking which we need
more than ever in these perilous times. An approach that may be our only real
hope of tackling the menace that is extremism. So if anything can be said about
our Defense Day celebrations, it’s that we aren’t doing enough.We defended our
way of life against an all out attack by a much larger and better equipped Army.
It is therefore essential that each and every Pakistani should know the true
meaning of Defense Day.
The main ceremony with regard to Defence and Martyrs Day was held at General
Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army
Staff General QamarJavedBajwa, senior civilian and military leaders, and other
dignitaries in presence. They included PPP Chairman Bilalwal Bhutto and
opposition leader in the parliament Shahbaz Sharif also.Families of martyrs,
members of the federal cabinet, heads of political parties, lawmakers and
celebrities were also among the attendees at the ceremony.The Pakistani nation
celebrated the day to pay tribute to its martyrs on the 53rd anniversary of the
1965 war.On this day, 53 years ago, the nation foiled the nefarious designs of
the enemy.Addressing the ceremony, the COAS said today was a day of solidarity
with martyrs of Pakistan and that they all were united for the defence of the
motherland.He said that September 6 was an important day in the country's
history and that they had learnt a lot from the 1965 and 1971 wars."Our forces
and nation have rendered sacrifices in the war against terrorism," General Bajwa
said. "Our houses, schools and leaders were attacked. Efforts were made to
weaken us internally."
Noting that more than 70,000 Pakistanis were martyred and injured in this war,
the Army chief vowed to collectively fight this menace of terrorism.He said that
enlightened nations do not forget their martyrs, adding, "We will avenge the
blood flowing on the border."He also said that continuity of democracy was
necessary in the country. The army chief further paid a tribute to the Kashmiri
brethren for their struggle for right to self-determination.
PM Khan said that the country's foreign policy will be for the betterment of the
nation under his command.He further stated that there is no civil-military
tension among the institutions as all have the shared objective of taking the
country forward.PM Imran also paid rich tribute to the martyrs for their
sacrifices in defending the motherland and assured their families that every
possible step will be taken for their welfare.
The Army Chief directed that field formation should reach out to families of
martyrs in their respective areas as mark of respect and the acknowledgment of
their great sacrifices. This is a day of national pride, this is a day when each
and every citizen of the country was united like a rock and stood shoulder to
shoulder with Armed forces of Pakistan. Although our enemy violated
international law by crossing our borders without any declaration of war even
then our armed forces joined by people of Pakistan gave crushing defeat to India
that is now a permanent part of history.
The PM said that the country's foreign policy will be for the betterment of the
nation under his command. He stated there was nocivil-military tension among the
institutions as all have the shared objective of taking the country forward.PM
Imran also paid rich tribute to the martyrs for their sacrifices in defending
the motherland and assured their families that every possible step will be taken
for their welfare.