Daily Times

Anyone intending to hurt the bond between the country’s armed forces and its people is not a friend of Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his message on Defence Day.

As Pakistan grapples with the historic floods and other challenges, we need to summon the spirit of 1965, PM Shehbaz said. “National unity is our greatest strength. Let us fortify this bond of One Nation,” he wrote on Twitter. The PM also said that it is a matter of great pride that the valiant armed forces and the brave Pakistani nation have carried forward the proud legacy of the 1965 war by successfully “defeating the monsters of terrorism and extremism in their two-decade-old struggle”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday laid a wreath at the Martyrs Monument at Shakarparian to pay tribute to the heroes of 1965 war with India. The prime minister also offered Fateha for the souls of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty of the homeland.

Speaking to media on the occasion, he said 57 years ago, the country’s armed forces had thwarted the designs of an enemy four times bigger than it.

He paid tribute to the martyrs including Maj Aziz Bhatti, Major Shabbir Sharif, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Rafiqui, Major Muhammad Ziauddin Uppal and several others who laid their lives in the line to defend the motherland against the Indian aggression. Shehbaz said as the country grappled with floods, the entire nation was united to brave the challenges with the spirit of 1965 war. He termed the floods as an unprecedented catastrophe in the country’s history and added that the citizens and armed forces were united in coping with the problem. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said as nation marked the Defence Day, the similar spirit of sacrifice and resilience was required to cope with the current grave challenges in the wake of floods.

In his initial remarks while chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet, he said as the country grappled with unprecedented floods and other challenges, there was a need to recall the spirit of 1965. The prime minister termed unity as the greatest strength of the Pakistani nation to deal with the challenges effectively. He said over 30 million people were facing the brunt of flash floods in the shape of loss of lives, infrastructure and crops. PM Sharif paid tribute to the martyrs of 1965 war who laid down their lives for the safety and security of the country.

Shehbaz said together, the armed forces and the people had thwarted the Indian machinations to undermine the national integrity. In view of the heavy losses due to floods, he said, the government had decided to observe the Defence Day with simplicity. However, he said, the resting places of the martyrs would be adorned with the wreaths and prayers would be offered for their souls.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the federal cabinet in its meeting had decided to increase the total cash assistance allocated grant from Rs28 billion to Rs70 billion as one-time payment at the rate of Rs25,000 per flood affected family.

On his Twitter handle, the prime minister said this increase was made keeping in view the scale and extent of flood damage. The money was being distributed through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). “Federal cabinet today decided to increase the cash assistance from Rs28 billion to Rs70 billion as one-time payment at the rate of Rs25,000 per family. This increase was made keeping in view the scale & extent of flood damage. The money is being distributed through BISP,” the prime minister posted a tweet.