- PM Sharif says he desires good and peaceful relations with neighbours on basis of sovereign equality
- President Hussain says Pakistani nation stands united against terrorism, hand-in-hand with armed forces
Reiterating that Pakistan is a peace-loving country and wants peace in the region, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said “our desire of peace must not be construed as our weakness”.
“Pakistani nation and its armed forces can go to any extent in securing its borders and safeguarding its sovereignty,” said the president and prime minister in separate messages on the eve of the golden jubilee of Defence Day of Pakistan being observed today.
“It is the moment of pride and pleasure that today on September 6, 2015 we are observing the golden jubilee of a morale-boosting event of history when the armed forces of Pakistan and the entire Pakistani nation not only defended well the frontiers the country but also thwarted the enemy’s designs with an unprecedented display of unity and courage. The moment of moral and military victory is today our national asset, which shall ever remain in the annals of history as shining example of all generations to come,” the president said.
“The war of 1965 was amongst one testing times imposed by the enemy in which the fearless sons of soil proved to the adversary, and the world at large, that Pakistan cannot be cowed down on matter how big the size of enemy is,” he added.
Hussain went on to say that the lesson learnt from the 1965 war was clear that unity and oneness, commitment and courage and spirit of sacrifice if combined together can make a nation invincible and its defence impregnable.
The armed forces of Pakistan are equipped with the professional preparedness of modern day warfare with traditional courage and commitment, he said. They are successfully braving the challenges and frustrating enemy designs on both internal and external fronts, he added. The Pakistani nation stands united against terrorism, hand in hand with the armed forces, civil and military security, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the president said.
Referring to the successful Zarb-e-Azb operation, Hussain said that the Pakistan Army has proved that any kind of threat posed to country’s security and existence will be frustrated. “I salute the jawans and officers who laid their lives in the line of duty, I salute the jawans and officers who got injured during this war against terrorism, most of them permanently crippled. I salute the personnel of police, law enforcement and intelligence agencies who sacrificed their today for our future, I salute the children of Army Public School Peshawar and all the citizens who became victim of terror but never budged,” he maintained.
On the occasion, PM Sharif said that Pakistan is undoubtedly a responsible and peaceful nuclear power. “We are fully aware of the conspiracies and tactics of the enemies and we still desire to have good and peaceful relations with all our neighbors on the basis of sovereign equality. I wish to make it clear that we will protect the sovereignty and security of Pakistan at all cost,” he added.
“The Defense Day of Pakistan reminds us of the unflinching resolve, determination, courage and bravery of the Pakistani nation. Today we are celebrating the golden jubilee of those memorable events, when our brave armed forces not only successfully defended its frontiers but also thwarted the nefarious designs of the enemy.”
The success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb is a testimony that the armed forces of the country are fully capable of meeting any challenge to the national security. The exemplary unity demonstrated by the political and military leadership in curbing terrorism is yet another splendid chapter of our national history, he noted.
This display of national unanimity has made it obvious to all enemies of Pakistan that the nation stands united in the face of any threat to national security and integrity. The Pakistani nation, the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies are determined to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from the country, he remarked.
“We remain committed to the modernisation and up gradation of professional capabilities of our armed forces and are fully conscious that professional readiness, determination and courage are guarantors of an independent nation,” the premier said.
