THE Pakistan Army is the shield of this country. From the snow-covered posts of Siachen to the deserts of Thar, from the busy streets of Karachi to the remote valleys of Waziristan, our soldiers stand day and night so that the rest of us can sleep without fear.

We see them whenever disaster strikes. In the 2005 earthquake, the floods of 2010 and 2022, and in every crisis since, the first help to arrive was often a soldier with a boat, a tent, or a bag of flour. They pull children from floodwaters, set up medical camps, and rebuild broken bridges while their own leave is cancelled.

We also saw them when terrorism had taken hold of our towns. In Swat, North Waziristan, and parts of Balochistan, the army went house to house so that schools could reopen and markets could lift their shutters. That fight........

© Pakistan Observer