‘Defence Day a reminder of sacrifices of martyrs, veterans’

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has said Defence Day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the country’s martyrs and veterans and calls for a renewed sense of national responsibility. Speaking at a special Defence Day programme, the speaker paid tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives in defence of the country and said national heroes such as Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed and M M Alam represented some of the brightest chapters of Pakistan’s history. He said Indian forces crossed the international border and attacked Pakistan on Sept 6, 1965, but the armed forces successfully thwarted the enemy’s designs and defended the country. The 17-day war, he said, demonstrated the courage and determination of Pakistani troops, while the bravery of Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed and the outstanding performance of M M Alam continued to be a source of national pride. He said Pakistan had also fought a prolonged and difficult war against terrorism over the past three decades, during which more than 125, 000 Pakistanis had lost their lives. Students, children, worshippers and visitors to shrines were among those who had sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism, he said. Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the sacrifices of the armed forces were a matter of national pride and that issues concerning national security should be discussed with responsibility and seriousness. He said political differences should not determine whether the military was viewed positively or negatively. Political parties, he added, should clearly state their position on the political role of the military. He said the events surrounding the creation of Pakistan and the Partition of India were an important part of the country’s history. Partition involved a massive human tragedy and population exchange, the effects of which continued to be felt. Families who migrated across the border remained witnesses to that turbulent period, he added. He stressed the importance of studying constitutional systems and the role of the state in different countries. Strong states, he said, were founded on constitutional principles, the rule of law and civil liberties, and Pakistan’s future should also be anchored in these principles. He said the defence of the homeland was not limited to protecting its borders but was also linked to national unity, constitutional supremacy, the rule of law, responsible political conduct and respect for state institutions. Defence Day, he said, provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the martyrs and veterans and reaffirm the national commitment to Pakistan’s security, sovereignty, stability and progress. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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