Defence Day 6 Sep 1965

The 6th of September 1965 is the day when the Indian forces sneaked into the Wagah border and the Pakistan armed forces, when alerted, put up a valiant defence of the motherland and drove them back, thus taking its name as the Defence of Pakistan Day. Later, it began to be observed not only to recall the exploits of our jawans in the September war, but also during the other aggressive wars the country has had to face since the partition. Homage is paid to those who laid down their lives in the sacred cause and wreaths are laid at the graves of especially those 10 martyrs who distinguished themselves for their extraordinary valour and were awarded the coveted Nishan-e-Haider. Besides, there are countrywide rallies. It is an established fact based on experience that wars are not won solely by the soldiers and the equipment they use; nor is the possession of a nuclear arsenal a guarantee of security. It is the internal strength and support of the entire nation imbued with the spirit of sharing the burden in whatever it can, even suffering loss and privation, that is of crucial significance. There is little doubt that in case of another unfortunate eventuality of a war it would not hesitate to set aside the differences with which it is riven at present and stand shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces. Nevertheless, the state of the country – terrorists from within and without striking at will, the life and property of the citizenry no longer secure, unbridled parochialism and sectarianism on the rise, rampant corruption that has squeezed viability out of the economy and bread out of the mouths of the common man, not to talk of the dangers inherent in the geopolitical climate in which Pakistan finds itself today – does call for serious reflection. The gravity of the situation is implied in the federal cabinet’s approval of a stringent proposed legislation to curb the plague of militancy, dispossessing those who maintain contacts with terrorist of their property and freezing their bank accounts. As under the existing law, it is not so easy to prove, in a court of law, an accused a culprit in committing acts of terrorism, he is generally let off. The proposed legislation aims at making electronic evidence as emails and sms admissible evidence in such cases. Then, a weak country situated in a war zone constitutes a standing invitation for foreign agents to operate. An exclusive story in The Nation and Nawa-i-Waqt points to the entry of foreign sleuths in the country with the help of local officials, conjuring up horrifying consequences it would entail for peace and security. Former Chief of the Army Staff General Aslam Beg has levelled the charge that Afghanistan is bristling with foreign intelligence agents who, he maintains, are responsible for the turmoil that Pakistan is accosted with at the moment. These are no ordinary charges; they merit adequate and immediate response. We must remember that only after we have addressed these issues and set our own house in order that we would be justified in boasting of an impregnable defence of the country.