Defence Day: Sept 6 has significant place in Pakistan’s history, says Shahbaz

Shahbaz Sharif pays tribute to sacrifices rendered by Pakistan Army

LAHORE: The month of September has a significant place in the history of Pakistan, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

In a special message for the Defence Day, the chief minister said that the armed forces had given a befitting response to the enemy that committed aggression against Pakistan. “The Pakistan Army is now writing a new chapter of gallantry in the war against terrorism for the survival and stability of the country. Officers and jawans of the Pakistan Army are rendering invaluable sacrifices for purging the country of the menace of terrorism,” he said.

“The 1965 war is a glorious chapter in the defence history of Pakistan. The army set magnificent examples of valour and bravery on every front. They will be remembered forever. The army and the entire nation gave a befitting response to the enemy,” he said.

The chief minister said that the nation once again needed national unity and spirit. “The army rendered sacrifices for defence of the motherland in 1965. Its officers and jawans are once again writing a chapter of valour in the ongoing war against terrorism for the stability and survival of the country,” he said.

The chief minister said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government made the country’s defence invincible in 1998 when it decided to conduct nuclear tests. “The courageous stance of the PML-N and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif laid the foundation of a strong Pakistan in 1998,” he said.

He said that September 6 was the day for paying homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the defence of the country. “Let us pledge that we will defeat all internal and external threats through our unity as we did in 1965,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2015.