By: Dr. Abdul Ghani
E-mail: ghanillm@yahoo.com
Published By: ANI News Agency
When a family closes its doors at night, there is comfort in believing that morning will bring familiar routines: children preparing for school, parents leaving for work, and markets opening for business. Yet beyond these ordinary scenes stands another world of duty, where sleep is interrupted, separation is accepted, and danger must be faced. For the soldiers guarding Pakistan, the quiet hours of civilian life can be hours of watchfulness. Their vigil deserves our attention, gratitude and respect.
The uniform can sometimes make us overlook the person wearing it. A soldier is also somebody's son or daughter, a parent, a sibling and a friend. Behind military discipline is a human being who misses home, worries about loved ones and carries personal hopes. Choosing a life of service means accepting that these personal concerns may sometimes have to wait. A family celebration can pass without them. A child's birthday may be marked through a brief telephone call. Such sacrifices rarely make headlines, but they give military service its deepest human meaning.
To honour the Pakistan Army is to recognise the seriousness of this commitment. National defence requires preparation long before a threat becomes visible to the public. Training, physical endurance, careful planning, maintenance and discipline form the less visible foundations of readiness. Courage matters, but courage must be supported by competence. We should value the soldier who performs an uneventful watch with the same seriousness as the soldier whose bravery becomes publicly known. A duty fulfilled quietly remains a duty worthy of respect.
Pakistan's mountains, plains and deserts remind us that guarding a country involves demanding environments as well as difficult decisions. Distance from home, harsh weather, fatigue and uncertainty can test both body and mind. From the comfort of our homes, it is easy to speak casually about military life. It is harder to imagine sustaining that responsibility day after day. Appreciation becomes more meaningful when we acknowledge the patient endurance behind the uniform, rather than remembering soldiers only during moments of crisis.
The burden also reaches the families who remain behind. A mother waits for news. A spouse manages the household and reassures the children. Parents grow older while visits remain uncertain. These families may not stand on the same watchtower, yet they live with the consequences of service. Their strength should never become an excuse to overlook their needs. When we praise a soldier's dedication, we should also recognise the emotional labour, resilience and practical sacrifices of those who make that dedication possible.
Our deepest gratitude belongs to those who have lost their lives in service. Each fallen soldier leaves an absence that public ceremonies cannot fill. A photograph takes the place of a familiar face; a memory replaces a conversation that will never happen again. Remembering the martyrs should therefore involve more than an annual tribute. Their families deserve lasting dignity, respectful treatment, educational opportunities for their children and dependable support. A nation's gratitude is most convincing when it remains present after public attention fades.
Wounded soldiers deserve equal recognition. Survival does not necessarily end the struggle. Recovery can require patience, rehabilitation, emotional support and adjustments to everyday life. We should speak of these soldiers with respect for their abilities and dignity, while recognising the assistance they may need. Honouring service includes supporting meaningful opportunities after injury and making space for veterans to contribute their experience. Nobody who has served should feel that public appreciation depends upon remaining physically strong or appearing untouched by hardship.
For citizens, standing with the Pakistan Army can find expression in thoughtful everyday conduct. We can avoid circulating unverified claims, respect the privacy of bereaved families and resist turning a soldier's suffering into material for online arguments. We can listen carefully when veterans describe their experiences. Teachers can help students understand service through human stories, while communities can offer practical support where it is needed. Respect grows stronger when it is informed, consistent and expressed through actions that make someone's life easier.
Lasting public trust also rests on the values that give military service its purpose: professionalism, discipline, constitutional duty and protection of the people. These ideals deserve affirmation because a strong relationship between citizens and their defenders serves the country. Love for the Army can be expressed with sincerity and thoughtful judgment. Responsible discussion, accurate information and mutual respect help preserve that relationship. Our soldiers deserve appreciation grounded in their demanding responsibilities and genuine sacrifices, with language that brings the nation together around shared obligations.
Peace, too, is a shared responsibility. Soldiers can help protect the space in which national life continues, while citizens, public institutions, teachers, businesses and community leaders must help make that life fairer and more secure. A country honours its defenders by caring for the society they serve. Every effort to strengthen education, uphold justice, support vulnerable families and resolve differences peacefully gives greater meaning to the sacrifices made in the country's defence. Gratitude should inspire us to become more responsible Pakistanis.
Tonight, as homes settle into quiet, let us remember those whose duty continues. Let us remember the families waiting for a call, the wounded rebuilding their lives and the households carrying an irreplaceable loss. The soldiers of the Pakistan Army deserve more than passing applause. They deserve enduring respect, practical care and a nation willing to uphold its responsibilities.
Let their service remind us that devotion to Pakistan begins with responsibility towards others.
Our peace, their vigil: may our gratitude remain awake.
