I am sure a man of your status in the forum does not pass such comments with malignant intentions, perhaps it's choice of words but I personally found your comments a bit insulting. I have served with many soldiers, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Pukhtoon, Sindhi, Balochi, Baltits among others and I find that they cannot be judged on their ethnicity, it's a matter of dedication which varies from person to person. No soldier of any ethnicity has produced results better than the other. We fought like brothers and we lived like brothers, we watched each other's backs no community surpassed the other in any way although there were individual instances of unmatched bravery that were random and not limited to soldiers from any one province. I had and always will want a soldier from ANYWHERE in Pakistan watching my back. They are all equally trustworthy.
Thanks for bringing this up. Another thanks for understanding the theme behind the post and not just outrightly rejecting it.
You are right, we shouldnt be judging patriotism through ethnicity and we never had.
If that had been the case we could have classified our people into the British BS of martial and non-martial races.
If that had been the case no Hindu, Christian would have been able to wear a Pakistani uniform (military, paramilitary) ever.
But we dont see that happening.
But then being part of this profession we do show interest in personalities. Personalities take shape from the background a person belongs to, how he has been brought up and the terrain, weather etc where he has spent his childhood also comes into play.
i know coursemates and soldiers from our Northern Areas being more physically fit and mentally stiff. During Yarmuks and Forced Marches they would display a better state of moral than we Karachiates.
Balochs and Pathans have been more of dare devils, though Punjabis were not lagging behind at all. The only difference was if you want a Pathan or Baloch to dig a trench you would require a simple talk to get him motivated and for the others you would like to add one more sentence or so.
Dont we experience this in our every day life? Just try to see your colleagues working around you in your office.
But then you know what, this doesnt matter. Physical fitness and mental robustness can be increased and so can be courage to a certain extent, but sheer cowardice cannot be helped and fortunately we didnt see any of it in any of the races.
So a tougher Pathan or Baloch can be equaled by another race through hardwork, therefore as you have rightly pointed out that there's no difference when it comes to show courage and valor.
When i joined PMA i was able to do one Heaving, when i passed out i was doing 20! Much more than a few of my Pathan and Baloch comrades, so this isnt strictly a criteria to judge someone. i hope i am making sense here?
Once when i was posted at Siachen and was stuck at a post for quite longer than my actual tenure due to bad weather i had this Balti soldier who would tell me that he would carry me on his shoulders even if he ALONE (normally a party moves) had to take me back to the base!!! Without knowing that i have volunteered for another tenure extension at the same post! Same was the case with other soldiers (which included Punjabis and Karachiates) who would not let me go out to direct artillery fire alone and would form a circle around me to save me from enemy's small arms fire!!!
i remember how i had to push/slap a few buddies to make my way out as they were not allowing me (for my safety) to take a SMG Chinese out of the bunker so that i could fire at the enemy post from a different/new position thus interrupting their MG fire which was targeting a stranded move party of ours, and we were already been badly pinned down because of enemy's small arms and artillery fire and had received strict orders not to go out. The HQ had already tasked another post to engage the enemy post and direct artillery fire, but as i knew i was the only officer (in the AOR of two posts) who was qualified in Artillery Target Grid Procedure so it had to be me who could have done the job!! i did go out but then i was not alone, i had Punjabis and Kashmiris with me who helped me complete the task, they just couldnt let their Officer go in the harms way Alone!
i also know a CO whose convoy was ambushed during the early days of operations in Wana and when he was laying on the side of the road firing from his pistol a soldier from his unit came rushing and lay himself over the CO because the soldier never wanted his CO to get killed. The CO tells me that after a while he felt something warm around the back of his thigh and on query he was told by that soldier that he has been hit by a bullet like 20 mins ago but he never squeaked!! The soldier was a Punjabi!
So there's no question of lack of valor or courage among us, may we be from any race. My post was in response to a post by Sir Fatman, and also to a wrong perception that Sindhis and Balochs being 'new' to the military might have a lower threshold of courage and the military's hard/rigorous way of life.
i hope i made myself clear.
