THE people of this country always hold the defence forces in high esteem because they consider them as the ultimate saviour. They love the soldiers who perform their duties hundreds of miles away from the comfort of their homes without having wished for any praise and reward. It is also a reality that no power on earth can undo the love between the people of Pakistan and its forces. This bond is deep-rooted and unshakeable.
By observing Martyrs Reverence Day marked by a series of events on Thursday, the nation proved once again that they fully stand by their forces that, in fact, have always rendered ultimate sacrifices for a peaceful and better future of the motherland. The day was observed in the wake of the most unfortunate and despicable violent acts of 9 May which saw a handful of elements rampaging the military installations and memorials as well as other public and private properties. The violent scenes shown in the media stunned and aggrieved everybody as the country has never seen such acts before. The incidents were embarrassing but the way various segments of society strongly condemned the acts and expressed solidarity with the defence forces demonstrated that we are a responsible nation and have nothing to do with those rioters. In fact no lexeme is enough to pay tributes to services and sacrifices of our defence forces and other security agencies. Apart from defending the frontiers of the country, our forces have successfully defeated the scourge of terrorism and even today they are after the remnant elements. Apart from fulfilling their responsibilities, they have always been at the forefront in providing timely relief and assistance whenever the country is faced with any calamity or pandemic. In fact our defence forces are the most disciplined and professional.
As regards 9 May violent acts, indeed, those behind them should be punished as per the law as nobody can be allowed under any circumstances to attack the military installations and desecrate places such as Jinnah House and the memorials of martyrs. At the same time, it is also important that those spreading propaganda against our forces on social media platforms are also taken to task. Over the last one year or so, one has seen an organized campaign against our forces on these platforms. Time has come to regulate social media as under the freedom of expression, nobody can be allowed to unleash baseless propaganda against our institutions. We hope the government will do the needful in this regard too.
