Not all heroes wear capes

There have been several occasions where civil institutions have been assisted by military — with outstanding results

Alongside fighting the Covid-19 challenge — with success — Pakistan has also been confronting the crises like the locust attack, the recent countrywide floods, and the civic collapse in Karachi due to the torrential rains last month. While the government is utliising all its energies and resources to overcome these challenges, Pakistan Army has been assisting it with all its means, methods and capabilities.

Recently, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had stated that Pakistan Army would continue assisting the government and state institutions in their efforts to tackle Covid-19. The statement from the COAS had come during his visit to Kohat where he was given a briefing on Pakistan Army’s efforts regarding the pandemic. General Bajwa also visited the Military Hospital in Kohat and instructed the management to reach out to those down with lethal virus and help the ones in need.

Earlier this year, in May, a Pakistan Army officer, Major Muhammad Asghar, had lost his life to the coronavirus. According to ISPR, Major Asghar was posted to serve at Torkham border and contracted the virus there. This is just one of the many examples of the Pakistan Army soldiers who have laid down their lives while serving their motherland. It would only be fair at this point to salute these brave men who are the pride of Pakistan.

Furthermore, Pakistan Army has distributed approximately 350,000 assistance packages to daily wagers, labourers, widows, and the handicapped across the country. Reportedly, these assistance packages were purchased through the donations made by our soldiers from their salaries for corona-affected people in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In a recent announcement, the COAS said that the PIA employees affected by Covid-19 would be treated at the Combined Military Hospital. This is how Pakistan Army has been assisting the government in the national fight against Covid-19 — something that is indeed admirable and encouraging for the people.

Apart from the reigning pandemic, Pakistan has been wrestling with the aftermath of what has turned out to be the worst locust attack on the country in 27 years. The locusts entering from Iran destroyed crops in more than 60 districts across the country giving the farmers a terrible financial hit. Pakistan Army swung into action here as well. According to the ISPR, the COAS visited the National Locust Control Centre in Rawalpindi where he ordered effective operations to mitigate the impact of the attack.

There have been several occasions where civil institutions have been assisted by the military — with outstanding results. The recent rains in Karachi that triggered urban flooding is a case in point. The flooding caused the deaths of many people, including women and children. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was called in by Prime Minister Imran Khan to handle the situation. The NDMA, along with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO), worked to mitigate the sufferings of the rain-affected citizens of Karachi. The Sindh government admitted that the situation could have been worse, but it was excellently taken care of.

Furthermore, the COAS spoke to Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the two sides discussed the Covid-19 situation in Pakistan and the polio vaccination campaign. Bill Gates appreciated Pakistan Army for its support on the polio campaign. The COAS said it was a national effort for a polio-free Pakistan.

And, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Kuninori Matsuda, appreciated the contributions of Pakistan Army to the UN Peacekeeping operations over the past decades. The Japanese ambassador also expressed his best wishes and hoped that Pakistan’s flag would continue to rise high in UN Peacekeeping Missions.

With such a huge contribution to the business of the state and the welfare of the people, Pakistan Army deserves to be commended with glowing superlatives.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2020.

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