By: Dr. Abdul Ghani
E. Mail: ghanillm@yahoo.com
Published By:ANI News Agency
A soldier’s death is never confined to a newspaper headline. It enters a home, leaves a chair empty and changes a family’s future forever. Behind the photograph of every fallen soldier are parents who waited for a telephone call, children who expected another embrace and a spouse whose ordinary hopes have become an extraordinary burden. When we discuss Pakistan’s struggle against terrorism, we must begin with these human realities. National security carries a cost, and some families pay it for the rest of their lives.
Standing with the Pakistan Army against terrorism means recognising that sacrifice and supporting the protection of every citizen. The freedom to attend school, open a shop, offer prayers or travel home safely depends on peace. When violence threatens these ordinary activities, defending them becomes a national responsibility.
Recent attacks underline the urgency. The deadly assault on a police compound in Kohat and the killing of police officers protecting polio workers in Balochistan illustrate how militant violence threatens both public safety and essential services. Those targeted include people performing duties that allow communities to function. Their suffering deserves attention beyond the brief life of a breaking-news alert.
Against this threat, the Pakistan Army’s counterterrorism role deserves serious, informed public support. Military service can demand separation from family, deployment in difficult terrain and decisions made under extreme pressure. Citizens should understand the weight of that responsibility. Appreciation becomes meaningful when it includes concern for wounded personnel, sustained support for bereaved families and respect for those whose service rarely receives public recognition.
Yet a national struggle cannot rest on soldiers alone. Police officers, other security personnel, intelligence professionals, medical workers and civilians also carry its burden. Acknowledging their contribution strengthens the case for unity. Pakistan’s defence is most effective when institutions cooperate and communities see their own safety reflected in the national response.
Terrorism seeks more than immediate casualties. It spreads fear, disrupts livelihoods and encourages people to doubt whether ordinary life can continue. Its effects reach the classroom, the marketplace and the family dinner table. A threatened teacher may hesitate to return to school; a trader may postpone investment; a parent may fear sending a child outside. The defence of peace is therefore also the defence of education, employment and human dignity.
This is why support for the Army should be expressed through responsible citizenship. Before sharing a dramatic video or an allegation about a security incident, we should check its origin, date and evidence. An old image presented as a new event can mislead thousands. Equally, verified reporting and legitimate questions deserve a reasoned response. Public confidence grows when facts are available and official explanations are clear.
Patriotism should give us the confidence to distinguish between deliberate falsehood and constructive criticism. Supporting soldiers is compatible with asking how civilians are protected, how mistakes are investigated and how security decisions serve lasting peace. These questions help institutions earn the trust upon which effective security depends. Respect for service and commitment to accountability can reinforce each other.
For communities living with violence, security must mean both protection from militants and fair treatment by the state. Their grievances should be heard, their losses acknowledged and their daily difficulties understood. The people of affected areas are essential partners in peace. Their cooperation grows when authorities listen carefully and act consistently.
Military action must therefore be supported by capable civilian institutions. Investigations need reliable evidence. Prosecutions need preparation. Courts need the resources to deliver timely justice through fair procedures. Schools, local government and economic opportunity must help communities recover. Soldiers may confront an immediate threat, but lasting stability requires the state to remain present after the operation ends.
We should also ask what our gratitude looks like in practice. Are the children of fallen personnel receiving sustained educational support? Do injured veterans have access to rehabilitation and opportunities for a dignified future? Are civilian victims remembered with the same seriousness after public attention moves elsewhere? A nation honours sacrifice through continuing responsibility.
The strongest column in support of the Pakistan Army needs no exaggerated claims. Its moral force comes from recognising real service, respecting evidence and insisting that the purpose of security is the protection of human life. The soldier at a dangerous post and the child seeking a safe classroom belong to the same national story. One serves so that the other may have a future.
Pakistan must stand firmly against terrorism and support those who confront it within the law. That commitment should unite us around courage, justice and compassion. Our responsibility is to help build a country where fewer families receive devastating news, where public trust strengthens national resolve and where peace becomes an everyday experience. The most enduring tribute to sacrifice is a Pakistan whose citizens can live without fear.
