We are free, thanks to our armed forces: CM

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said be it foriegn aggression or natural calamities the defence forces continue to face challenges bravely to keep the nation safe.

In his message on the occasion of Defence Day the chief minister said, "thanks to the armed forces of Pakistan, we are breathing in the air of a free country."

He said that September 6, 1965,  is the most significant day in the country's military history. On that day, the armed forces of Pakistan and the entire nation defended their freedom and dignity against the Indian aggression.

Murad said this day will always be remembered as a bright chapter in the history of Pakistan. "On September 6, 1965, our Pakistani forces stood as a wall in front of the enemy's guns and forced the enemy to retreat."

Today the armed forces are facing the vagaries of nature to help the flood-hit people with the same spirit of '65, Murad said.

Early dewatering of fields was necessary to resume agricultural activities so as to avoid famine in the province, said CM Murad talking to a high-power delegation of UAE led by UAE Red Crescent Hamoud Secretary Abdulla Aljeibi.

Regarding relief and rehabilitation work in Sindh, Murad said that along with the rehabilitation of affected people the provincial government has to dewater agricultural lands so that wheat crop could be sown to avoid the famine in the province.

"We have to rehabilitate over 1.5 million people, restore 3,172,726 acres of land for rabi crops, particularly wheat, otherwise food shortage would emerge," he said and added this was a gigantic task for which the international community would have to support the provincial government.

The UAE delegation includes Ambassador of UAE in Pakistan Hamad Obaid Alzaabl,

Bakheet Ateeg Alremeithi, UAE Consul General Bakheet Ateeg Alremeithi, Head of International Communication UAE Red Crescent, Rashed All Alhammadi, Director Int'l Communication, UAE Red Crescent Saeed Suhail Almazrouei, Head of UAE Red Crescent Hamad Bakheet Alremeithi. The CM was assisted by provincial ministers Nasir Shah, Mukesh Chawla, Advisor Rehabilitation Rasool Bux Chandio, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Special Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, and Secretary Rehabilitation Asif Memon.

Murad said that agricultural machinery, fertilizer, seed, and technology would be arranged to provide growers to start sowing wheat. "Our wheat is the most important rabi crop, and it was badly needed to meet the wheat requirement of the province," he said. 

The chief secretary giving a briefing to the UAE visiting delegation said that over one million tents, three million mosquito nets, kitchen sets, mosquito nets for animals, ration bags, and drinking water were needed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2022.