LAHORE: September 6 marks the day when we honour the supreme sacrifices made by our gallant armed forces to safeguard the integrity and dignity of our beloved homeland in the face of a hostile and much stronger enemy, said the presiding bishop of the Church of Pakistan.
In a statement on the occasion, CoP Moderator/President Bishop Dr Azad Marshall said that our martyrs had written new chapters of virtuous deeds and heroic acts in 1965, and their glorious legacy was being upheld today by our armed forces who had successfully countered both internal and external threats to the country.
“The entire Pakistani nation, irrespective of their faith, caste and creed, stand firmly behind our armed forces and we want the world to know that we will never compromise on our sovereignty, security and national integrity,” he said.
Bishop Marshall said that the spirit of Sept 6 had made the nation stand firm and steadfast against all odds. “It is this spirit that has kept us defiant and resilient against all forces conspiring against our great country. We are committed to securing peace, but we are also prepared to thwart any internal or external plots against Pakistan,” he added.
The senior church leader said that members of the religious minorities, particularly Christians, had played a major role in the defence of the motherland and laid down their lives to protect its sanctity.
“The heroic deeds and valour shown by our Christian heroes in all three wars fought with India is a testament of our selfless love for our country. Even today a large number of Christians and other non-Muslims are serving in the armed forces and security agencies and their services to the motherland are second to none,” he said.
He said that the entire Pakistani Christian community was standing firm behind their armed forces under the able leadership of General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other services chiefs.
“I commend our armed forces and security agencies for their relentless efforts towards exposing the enemies carrying out covert activities against Pakistan and we assure them of our complete support and cooperation,” he added.
“We are always at the beck and call of our military and civilian leadership and will never hesitate in rendering our services in the national interest of Pakistan,” he concluded.
