Letters to our soldiers

With the terrorist threats forever growing in the country, the Pakistani military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014. Since then, many of our brothers have been out there risking their lives day in and day out to make our dear homeland a safer place. These brave soldiers have not returned home for over six months, they have been fighting tirelessly to make our country safe again. Knowing that these courageous men are out there, working tirelessly makes all of us feel safer; it makes all of us sleep a little bit better.

We have gone about our own business knowing that our brave defenders are doing their job and doing it well. Take a moment to imagine life, out in the wilderness, away from our family and friends, without any access to social media or television. Imagine what it would be like to risk your life for people you don’t know, people you’ve never met and people who might never realise how perilous your task is. Imagine, not knowing if you’d ever return home. The circumstances are almost too hard to imagine for us.

Maybe it’s time we did something for them for a change, took the time out to just sit down and write to our brothers, thanking them for their colossal efforts in turning Pakistan back into a safe haven for all of us. A little gesture to lighten up the day for a soldier out there, working hard so that his fellow citizens would remain safe. Out there in the wilderness, cut off from the outside world, what would be better than a letter from a fellow Pakistani? A letter thanking him for his amazing effort, reminding him that he is not forgotten, telling him that the prayers of fellow Pakistanis are always with him. A little gesture like this may not seem like too much, it doesn’t even take too much time or effort but it may be all that a soldier may need to fight another day.

It is easy to forget things that are not affecting our daily routines, to not think about things that do not affect us directly, but this effort of ours may go a long way in impacting a brave soldier’s life positively. Think about it, take time out, write a letter, say thank you. It’s the least any of us could do for the people who are making our home a safer place.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.