What a tragedy of this nation that none of the political leaders, except Mian Nawaz Sharif, has announced that they will visit Gayari sector to show solidarity with the troops. We all know there cannot be any survivors but they can at least heal their wounds by showing concern for these brave soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the most difficult conditions in fighting the enemy and weather. It is not about the death of 139 soldiers but the honour they have earned. They lie buried under heavy snow and all efforts to trace their bodies have met no success yet.
Imagine the condition of 139 families, the agony, the pains, their hue and cry and children eager to see their beloved fathers. We are all busy in the hustle bustle of life. We are worried about defence budget, we are not happy with the ISI and we are worried about their plots. Soldiers serving in Siachen were not born there. They have no personal enmity with the Indians. It is because of us that they are there; only to protect us and our motherland. Let us salute these brave soldiers who have laid their lives and those deployed in the highest glaciers. They are there to keep us safe here.
LT COL (retd) MUKHTAR AHMED BUTT
Karachi
