Country’s internal defence collective responsibility of all: Maryam

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif reached Cantt area of the city on Friday to commemorate great sacrifices of our heroic martyrs on the Defence Day of Pakistan.

She laid flowers on the martyrs’ memorial and prayed for elevation of their ranks in Heaven. In her speech on the occasion, she said, “It is a matter of great honour and pride for me that on the Defence Day, I have got an opportunity to visit the martyrs’ memorial and pay them respects.” She said: “I had a chance to meet their families too at the prestigious event.”

The chief minister said: “I want to assure my countrymen that our forces are doing a remarkable job in external defence. When we sleep peacefully at homes, they wake up to protect our borders.” She said internal defence of the country was a collective responsibility of all Pakistanis. She added: “Martyrs sacrificed their lives for us, protecting their dignity and respecting their sacrifices is our collective responsibility.”

The CM said: “Today, I want to pay tribute specially to mothers of martyrs. I have met them also. It’s such a sentiment and its depth cannot be gauged.” She said: “A mother can understand when her child goes out of the house, she waits and prays for his well-being, only when her child returns safely, she sleeps peacefully.” Maryam said: “I think this emotion is also an invincible emotion that when a mother sends her child to the battlefield to protect the country. She knows where she is sending him and what can happen to him; she knows one day his body may come back in khaki.”

The CM said: “Our officers and men fight bravely on borders. The spirit of sacrifice under which Pakistan Army sacrifices its lives is nurtured in their mothers’ laps. Bravery is born in mother’s lap; I salute the courage of these mothers and parents.” She said: “I salute the families, children and wives of the martyrs.”

The CM said: “Sacrifices of martyrs is the red line of any living nation, crossing it is not tolerated by any patriot.” She prayed, “May Allah bless Pakistan, long live Pakistan! Ameen.”

The chief minister met families of the martyrs and expressed her compassion to the children of the martyrs. “Salute to martyrs and veterans,” she said in her message on the Defence Day of Pakistan. She said, “Our brave men have proved by their eternal sacrifices that the wars of nations are not won by weapons but by faith and belief.” The CM said: “Today Pakistan is a nuclear power and our army is more confident than ever. People stand by the armed forces and will always stand by them.”