The Defense Day of Pakistan reminds us of the day when the martyrs, brave soldiers, and valiant defenders of Pakistan proved their bravery and courage at the borders to defend the country. The Pakistani Armed Forces and the public united to confront the enemy.
They faced the enemy with their heads wrapped in shrouds, laid down in front of tanks with explosives strapped to their bodies, and sacrificed everything for the defense of the homeland. We all pay tribute to the valor of our pure-hearted martyrs. On the morning of September 6, India launched a major military attack from Lahore and Sialkot, leading to the largest tank battle in history.
It is a fact that our army has been at the forefront in combating terrorism both nationally and internationally. Additionally, the Pakistan Armed Forces have helped the public in disasters like locust attacks, floods, and earthquakes, often at the cost of their own lives. In current conditions, the country’s foundation is based on politics, the economy, and accountability. Every individual in this society is of special importance, without whom the development of any country is impossible. Alongside individuals, the economy is also a backbone.
The stronger the economy of a country, the stronger it will be in all aspects. Pakistan is a developing country with the fifth-largest population in the world, but it ranks 23rd in terms of economy and 38th in purchasing power. Since independence, Pakistan’s economy has faced issues like wars, political conflicts, increasing population, and limited direct investment, affecting its industry and trade significantly.
For strengthening the economy and national stability, we need to focus on a fundamental system of religious and modern education and health, uniform accountability, promotion of local products, controlling inflation, attention to investment, preventing corruption, providing employment, enforcing laws, timely tax payment, controlling the growing population, avoiding extravagance, creating avenues for modern and professional education, promoting mutual affection and political unity, and many other factors. It is crucial to understand that Pakistan’s future depends on national unity, which can be achieved through social harmony among all segments of Pakistani society.
We must prioritize public welfare over personal interests. Integrity and honesty are essential in all sectors such as health, governance, electricity supply, clean water provision, and local governance. We should have the spirit of tolerance and cooperation, which is vital for the success of democracy, as democracy also plays a significant role in unity and cohesion.
The internal and external threats to Pakistan are evident. India and Afghanistan are using their territories for provocation on external fronts, while national state institutions are being targeted in political confrontations, providing the enemy an opportunity to complete their schemes against national security.
Any media-related sector is an essential tool in fifth-generation warfare, with social media playing a significant role. It involves various types of writings, video clips, posts, WhatsApp and Facebook statuses that can mislead the public, risking the nation’s status and position.
Authorities should use modern technology to define its limits, similar to China, Turkey, and Malaysia. The primary target of fifth-generation warfare is the younger generation. This is a media war, and media usage must be approached with great caution. Given the vast field of media, especially social media, strict censorship policies will be necessary to prevent misuse by youth.
The recent demonstration of anti-state slogans and behaviors under the guise of problem-solving seems to be a more severe issue than the actual problems. The incitement and use of ethnic sentiments against the state will not succeed as the people of Pakistan are now more sensitive about their land and ideology and are aware of how various “slogans” are used to push Pakistan back into chaos.
Certainly, the citizens of Pakistan are always prepared to thwart any conspiracy against their land. If this nation has successfully maintained a national narrative and ideology in the war against terrorism over the past decade and a half, it is also striving to resolve many similar issues and has the capability to do so. We just need to trust our institutions. Having largely won the war against terrorism, we will soon overcome the issues arising from it. While having problems and complaints is acceptable, a campaign against the state and its institutions is indeed painful.
Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, stated in a speech on October 24, 1947: “The more we learn to endure suffering and make sacrifices, the more we will emerge as a purer, stronger nation, just as gold becomes pure and refined through fire.” Therefore, the thorns, difficulties, and problems on the path are not the destination where we should get entangled. We must have faith in our bright future and strive together, as our land now needs action more than slogans.
Whenever the state faced the menace of terrorism in the past, the nation and the Pakistan Armed Forces stood firm and successfully led the country to victory with thousands of sacrifices. The operations Rahe Rast, Rahe Najat, Rahe Haq, and Zarb-e-Azb were carried out to defeat the terrorists. Later, Operation Radd-ul-Fasad was launched to track down and eliminate terrorists hiding in civilian areas. This operation also identified and brought to justice the terrorists’ facilitators.
In this way, the state of Pakistan generally eradicated terrorism. However, recently, terrorists from neighboring Afghanistan have managed to infiltrate Pakistani territory through the western border, leading to a resurgence of terrorism and an increase in attacks on security forces.
Nonetheless, our security forces are dealing with these attacks with utmost bravery and professionalism. It is also encouraging that the nation is determined to eradicate the scourge of terrorism and extremism and is standing shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces and other institutions to tackle internal and external threats.
It is worth noting that not only have attacks on security forces increased by enemy elements, but efforts have also been made to promote anti-Pakistan narratives through social media and other channels. Moreover, we must address the sense of deprivation in backward provinces, or else the enemy will intensify its attempts to incite rebellion among the people of these provinces.
Similarly, close attention is needed to the political structure of the state to ensure that the enemy does not use politics to foster a climate of hatred. It is necessary to legislate on religious matters and ensure the protection of sacred values through laws and their implementation. To make Pakistan’s security invulnerable, we need to foster an environment of national unity and cohesion, rising above personal interests and disputes, to strengthen the Pakistan Armed Forces for the defense and security of the country, as national integrity is paramount.