Embassy of Pakistan Commemorates Pakistan Defense and Martyrs’ Day
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: On Pakistan Defense and Martyrs’ Day on September 6, 2024, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, paid tribute to his country’s armed forces – the Army, Air Force and Navy – for always responding promptly to any foreign threat or domestic challenge.
“In meeting these challenges, our brave and valiant soldiers have always lived up to the expectations of the nation,” the ambassador said. “Even today, our armed forces and the Pakistani nation are paying a disproportionate and exorbitant price in blood and treasure to combat terrorism. More than 80,000 people including 10,000 security personnel have lost their lives in this war.”
Noting that Pakistani defense forces “continue to bear the brunt of a new tide of terrorism which has killed hundreds since August 2021,” Ambassador Sheikh vowed to “quell this threat.”
A large number of diplomats, defense, military and services attachés, US officials and members of the Pakistani community attended the special event honoring the Pakistani soldiers who sacrificed their lives defending Pakistan during the country’s 1965 war with India.
Underscoring the immense price Pakistan was paying in its ongoing fight against the menace of terrorism, Ambassador Sheikh expressed hope that the international community would acknowledge the ultimate sacrifices made and express solidarity with the people and armed forces of Pakistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to international peace and security through its participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. “Since 1960, over 235,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served in 48 missions worldwide with 181 making the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
Discussing Pakistan-US defense ties, the ambassador said that defense cooperation with the United States was a key pillar of its enduring partnership with the United States.
Acknowledging the critical role of the United States in strengthening Pakistan’s defense capabilities, he said that the two countries will continue to strengthen its military-to-military relationship with particular focus on counterterrorism, security cooperation, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and military training.
“Both sides are committed to nurturing this partnership further and further,” Ambassador Sheikh said. “We will remain invested in our defense partnership with the United States as it remains a critical factor for the peace and stability of our region.”
Defense Attaché of Pakistan Brigadier Irfan Ali also addressed the gathering, highlighting the professional skills and devotion of the Pakistani armed forces. He paid a glowing tribute to “all the brave men and women of the armed forces, paramilitary and law enforcement agencies who have laid down their lives and suffered grievous bodily harm or mental traumas in defense of their homeland.”
“We have perpetually encountered conflicts, insurgencies, internal security threats and natural disasters,” he said. “We will continue to counter terrorism and campaigns against a complex of terrorist organizations emboldened by recent events in the neighborhoods. But make no mistake that we will prevail and root out this threat with the whole of nation approach,” the brigadier said.
In closing, the ambassador expressed solidarity with the people of illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, calling on the international community to “raise their voices in support of the Kashmiris’ legitimate, internationally recognized – and more importantly – inalienable right to self-determination.”
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
