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“The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten”
Calvin Coolidge
Geographic location of Pakistan on the cartography of this world makes it a significant player in the geopolitical arena of the world. For a country like Pakistan which is facing threats on multiple fronts in the form of hybrid warfare being imposed by its enemies, the security of its physical borders and sanctity of its sovereignty is of utmost importance. Since independence, enemies of this state have used nefarious means to undermine its security only to be repulsed by the grit and determination of its Armed Forces and resilience of its people. Masses have always stood by Pakistan Army in testing times knowing well that Pakistan Army will never let them down. May it be any natural calamity like earthquakes or floods, neutralising conventional or non-conventional threats, it has always been an epitome of excellence and professionalism. Strength of Pakistan Army lies in its diversity inter alia several other qualities. It is an institution which selects officers and soldiers from all corners of Pakistan irrespective of their background or ethnicity. Pakistan Army has developed an effective system of recruitment and training which is free from all sorts of nepotism and favouritism. It is for this reason that this diversity, when combined with a hard and meticulous training regime, develops a unique sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps. This eventually makes this institution transcend excellence and professionalism. Practical manifestation of this paradigm can be seen in Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) where the first term platoon has cadets from all corners of the country, belonging to diverse local cultures and social backgrounds, but when they graduate as officers from PMA, the difference appears negligible as they are trained to become officers alike with the sole aim of serving their motherland.
Pakistan Army has proved its metal everywhere. It has fought one of the toughest insurgencies of the world. Pakistan was facing an existential threat in the form of terrorism after commencement of Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) in 2001. Since then Pakistan has lost 74,000 people and $123 billion in economic losses. The terrorists had created their base of operations by creating an elaborate system of defences in the treacherous valleys of FATA, for conducting attacks in Pakistan, with the full tangible and intangible support of various anti-state elements and enemies of Pakistan. Penetrating these areas and clearing them of a fortified enemy which was practically invisible due to their merging capabilities with the locals, was a herculean task. But Pakistan Army, fully cognizant of its responsibilities, never stood back for a minute. Its fearless young officers lead its soldiers into the heat of various battles without a flinch of hesitation. The incredible stories of bravery, comradeship and fortitude still reverberates through the valleys of FATA. At the same time, the patriotic people of FATA made huge sacrifice by leaving their homes and belongings and shifted to various IDP camps, for conduct of swift military operations and with the only hope that soon they will be returning to their homes in peace. Today their hope has transformed into a reality and people are returning to their homes where peace has been restored by extensive military operations and infrastructural development carried out by Pakistan Army. It is of immense pain and sorrow that despite of the huge sacrifices made by Pakistan Army, unfortunately few mischievous elements put into action by enemies of the state are attempting to play with the minds of patriotic people of this nation with the purpose of maligning Pakistan Army and to reverse the gains of peace and stability achieved in the country.
Pakistan Army is a disciplined and professional Army. It has proved its professionalism by winning gold medal in Cambrian Patrol, one of the toughest patrolling test for military personnel, four times, among 131 participating armies from all over the world.
This high standard of professionalism and sense of duty also earned Pakistani forces a respectable position among UN peacekeeping forces. Pakistan Army has a long and distinguished history of serving peacekeeping operations under the banner of the United Nations in war-torn countries around the world. Since 1960, Pakistan has contributed more than 160,000 troops in 41 missions spread over 23 countries. Serving in these missions for peace, 145 Pakistani troops, including 23 officers, lost their lives. Pakistan Army contingents deployed abroad have played a significant role in normalising war-torn conditions, maintaining law and order and ensuring the successful transition of political processes through supervision of elections. Their efforts have also won praise from world leaders and the UN leadership.
Apart from performing the conventional border defence duties, Pakistan Army has always been on the front-line in meeting the domestic challenges faced by its people and the government. Its first responder response in salvage operations during all kinds of natural calamities is unprecedented. Pakistan Army relief efforts and disaster management activates during the 2005 earthquake and during the floods in 2010, were immensely praised by the international community for their success and uniqueness. Pakistan Army provided 200,000 troops to support the conduct of 6th population and housing census conducted in 2017.
Pakistan Army has deployed its troops on the hardest and cruellest of the terrains, exposing them to multiple hazards but not compromising on the defence and integrity of its land. Deployments have been carried out from the Working boundary to the end of Line of Actual Contact (LOAC) till Indira Col pass in Karakorum Mountains, having peaks with heights ranging from 8000-22500 feet. At these heights the spirit and fortitude of our soldiers is worth mentioning. Heights where one needs to take pauses in completing a single sentence due to lack of oxygen; where troops are supplied rations only by helicopter drops; where one is limited to the confines of a small igloo and its surroundings because of the dangers of falling in deep crevasses; where the nights are full of frightening noises of blizzards and the creaks and groans of slowly moving ice beneath them; where temp goes down to -45 degrees Celsius; where all are strongly prone to diseases like frost bite, acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE); where no one is sure of going back home alive and the only hope one gets is by seeing the person next to him, alive. Faced with these circumstances, no soldier of Pakistan Army complains about the predicament he is in. Morale of soldiers living there is remarkable for the only reason that they are there to defend their motherland. Culture of fortitude and courage in Pakistan Army can be judged from the fact that the number of volunteers for such daring deployments has never plummeted.
Today we can say that Pakistan has defeated the menace of terrorism and writ of government has been established in all areas. This was only possible due to the enormous sacrifices made by people and armed forces of this country. We have lost our loved and dear ones in this war. However, victory is never achieved without losses, and sacrifices have to be made for greater causes. The need of the hour is that we preserve this victory forever by not letting the blood of our dear ones vanquish in vain. Consolidating the gains of this victory is only possible if we remain together. Enemies of Pakistan have launched a very deadly and sophisticated war on us known as “hybrid warfare”. This kind of war has multiple faces with the major one being propaganda and subversion. Pakistan Army being the only deterrent wall standing between the vested interests of these enemies and safety of its motherland is the prime target of this warfare. We as a nation must support and stand by our Army against this noxious war and honour the sacrifices made by our soldiers, for history is witness to the downfall and demise of nations who have forgotten the sweat and blood of their defenders, which reminds me of the old maxim “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.
http://hilal.gov.pk/eng-artical/pakistan-army:-diversity-transcending-excellence/MTE5Mw==.html
E-mail: [email protected]
Calvin Coolidge
Geographic location of Pakistan on the cartography of this world makes it a significant player in the geopolitical arena of the world. For a country like Pakistan which is facing threats on multiple fronts in the form of hybrid warfare being imposed by its enemies, the security of its physical borders and sanctity of its sovereignty is of utmost importance. Since independence, enemies of this state have used nefarious means to undermine its security only to be repulsed by the grit and determination of its Armed Forces and resilience of its people. Masses have always stood by Pakistan Army in testing times knowing well that Pakistan Army will never let them down. May it be any natural calamity like earthquakes or floods, neutralising conventional or non-conventional threats, it has always been an epitome of excellence and professionalism. Strength of Pakistan Army lies in its diversity inter alia several other qualities. It is an institution which selects officers and soldiers from all corners of Pakistan irrespective of their background or ethnicity. Pakistan Army has developed an effective system of recruitment and training which is free from all sorts of nepotism and favouritism. It is for this reason that this diversity, when combined with a hard and meticulous training regime, develops a unique sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps. This eventually makes this institution transcend excellence and professionalism. Practical manifestation of this paradigm can be seen in Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) where the first term platoon has cadets from all corners of the country, belonging to diverse local cultures and social backgrounds, but when they graduate as officers from PMA, the difference appears negligible as they are trained to become officers alike with the sole aim of serving their motherland.
Pakistan Army has proved its metal everywhere. It has fought one of the toughest insurgencies of the world. Pakistan was facing an existential threat in the form of terrorism after commencement of Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) in 2001. Since then Pakistan has lost 74,000 people and $123 billion in economic losses. The terrorists had created their base of operations by creating an elaborate system of defences in the treacherous valleys of FATA, for conducting attacks in Pakistan, with the full tangible and intangible support of various anti-state elements and enemies of Pakistan. Penetrating these areas and clearing them of a fortified enemy which was practically invisible due to their merging capabilities with the locals, was a herculean task. But Pakistan Army, fully cognizant of its responsibilities, never stood back for a minute. Its fearless young officers lead its soldiers into the heat of various battles without a flinch of hesitation. The incredible stories of bravery, comradeship and fortitude still reverberates through the valleys of FATA. At the same time, the patriotic people of FATA made huge sacrifice by leaving their homes and belongings and shifted to various IDP camps, for conduct of swift military operations and with the only hope that soon they will be returning to their homes in peace. Today their hope has transformed into a reality and people are returning to their homes where peace has been restored by extensive military operations and infrastructural development carried out by Pakistan Army. It is of immense pain and sorrow that despite of the huge sacrifices made by Pakistan Army, unfortunately few mischievous elements put into action by enemies of the state are attempting to play with the minds of patriotic people of this nation with the purpose of maligning Pakistan Army and to reverse the gains of peace and stability achieved in the country.
Pakistan Army is a disciplined and professional Army. It has proved its professionalism by winning gold medal in Cambrian Patrol, one of the toughest patrolling test for military personnel, four times, among 131 participating armies from all over the world.
This high standard of professionalism and sense of duty also earned Pakistani forces a respectable position among UN peacekeeping forces. Pakistan Army has a long and distinguished history of serving peacekeeping operations under the banner of the United Nations in war-torn countries around the world. Since 1960, Pakistan has contributed more than 160,000 troops in 41 missions spread over 23 countries. Serving in these missions for peace, 145 Pakistani troops, including 23 officers, lost their lives. Pakistan Army contingents deployed abroad have played a significant role in normalising war-torn conditions, maintaining law and order and ensuring the successful transition of political processes through supervision of elections. Their efforts have also won praise from world leaders and the UN leadership.
Apart from performing the conventional border defence duties, Pakistan Army has always been on the front-line in meeting the domestic challenges faced by its people and the government. Its first responder response in salvage operations during all kinds of natural calamities is unprecedented. Pakistan Army relief efforts and disaster management activates during the 2005 earthquake and during the floods in 2010, were immensely praised by the international community for their success and uniqueness. Pakistan Army provided 200,000 troops to support the conduct of 6th population and housing census conducted in 2017.
Pakistan Army has deployed its troops on the hardest and cruellest of the terrains, exposing them to multiple hazards but not compromising on the defence and integrity of its land. Deployments have been carried out from the Working boundary to the end of Line of Actual Contact (LOAC) till Indira Col pass in Karakorum Mountains, having peaks with heights ranging from 8000-22500 feet. At these heights the spirit and fortitude of our soldiers is worth mentioning. Heights where one needs to take pauses in completing a single sentence due to lack of oxygen; where troops are supplied rations only by helicopter drops; where one is limited to the confines of a small igloo and its surroundings because of the dangers of falling in deep crevasses; where the nights are full of frightening noises of blizzards and the creaks and groans of slowly moving ice beneath them; where temp goes down to -45 degrees Celsius; where all are strongly prone to diseases like frost bite, acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE); where no one is sure of going back home alive and the only hope one gets is by seeing the person next to him, alive. Faced with these circumstances, no soldier of Pakistan Army complains about the predicament he is in. Morale of soldiers living there is remarkable for the only reason that they are there to defend their motherland. Culture of fortitude and courage in Pakistan Army can be judged from the fact that the number of volunteers for such daring deployments has never plummeted.
Today we can say that Pakistan has defeated the menace of terrorism and writ of government has been established in all areas. This was only possible due to the enormous sacrifices made by people and armed forces of this country. We have lost our loved and dear ones in this war. However, victory is never achieved without losses, and sacrifices have to be made for greater causes. The need of the hour is that we preserve this victory forever by not letting the blood of our dear ones vanquish in vain. Consolidating the gains of this victory is only possible if we remain together. Enemies of Pakistan have launched a very deadly and sophisticated war on us known as “hybrid warfare”. This kind of war has multiple faces with the major one being propaganda and subversion. Pakistan Army being the only deterrent wall standing between the vested interests of these enemies and safety of its motherland is the prime target of this warfare. We as a nation must support and stand by our Army against this noxious war and honour the sacrifices made by our soldiers, for history is witness to the downfall and demise of nations who have forgotten the sweat and blood of their defenders, which reminds me of the old maxim “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.
http://hilal.gov.pk/eng-artical/pakistan-army:-diversity-transcending-excellence/MTE5Mw==.html
E-mail: [email protected]
