Living and dying with grace

Those who live with grace are Ghazis and those who die with grace are Shaheeds (martyrs). This message was conveyed to the entire world during the 1965 war by the soldiers and people of Pakistan. And this message of grace is being conveyed even today by our valiant armed forces and their vehement supporters who happen to be the people of Pakistan. The message is loud and clear as discernible through the successes being achieved in Operation Zarb-e-Azb and other operations in Khyber, Karachi and troubled regions of the country where the enemy forces are fighting anti-Pakistan proxy wars with the help of their paid protégés.
The challenges are undaunted and hydra-headed since the terrain is tough and the sanctuaries and safe havens in the western border region are not easy to conquer but the Pakistani forces have proved that no one is unconquerable and invulnerable. The armed services, fully supported by the government, national institutions, majority political parties and the masses, have put an end to the myth of invincibility of the tribal insurgents whom forces of the West could not subdue-let alone defeat- for decades, starting from the British colonial era till the recent coalition-led Afghan war scene.
Those who have been spreading despair and despondency on the plea that western forces in the recent times and British forces in the bygone days had failed in the tribal region, stand defeated. It’s about time that they reviewed and reversed their opinion about the invincibility of militants. It is otherwise very important to reverse these opinions because through these viewpoints the adherents of these ideas create an impression as the extremist forces and armed insurgents were entities, which should be adored, if not worshipped.
No need to go for such exaggerated mannerism thus goes the message emanating from Pakistani armed forces’ successes in Operation Zarb-e-Azb and in operations in other troubled areas of the country.
This message also clears many misconceptions in the minds and hearts of foreigners who had started showing distrust in Pakistani states’ capability to manage itself. Some of these foreigners had even been opining that Pakistan is very much a failed state that has lost the will to survive and the capacity to manage itself or thrive.
There is no such thing on ground to believe these opinions. Even a cursory look into Pakistan’s present and past will prove that the country has outlived innumerable challenges, threats and intrigues. The strength to fight these scourges came from the people and from the national institutions especially the armed forces that took up the challenge of cleansing after getting the nod of people’s representatives in the government and in the parliament.
It is more than a merely one-page situation that we usually talk about to show that all the segments of the society that have some say in the national affairs, stand united at least on the point of country’s security, stability and peace. If one were to go for in-depth evaluation of our national life, our nation has always demonstrated unity in odd times, may they be wars or natural calamities.
The September 1965 war too reminds us of that unprecedented unity with which the country fought the war with a much bigger and highly equipped enemy. One-page, as such, is an inbuilt trait of every Pakistani, irrespective of the fact whether he is a soldier, a parliamentarian, a lawyer, a journalist or a businessman. This is our basic national strength and a bulwark against any threats to our national solidarity.
Credit must also be given to the incumbent political and military leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and COAS General Raheel Sharif for forging this unity that has become an effective tool of strength and invincibility against any conspiracy and offensive launched by the enemies of Pakistan, whether they are operating in open on the Working Boundary and LoC or whether they are operating stealthily through their paid agents and brainwashed operatives.