Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, NI (M), TBT Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force conveyed message on Defence Day of Pakistan - 2012, on Wednesday. In his message, he said that the Defence Day of Pakistan rekindles the memories of valiant heroes and martyrs of '65 war in our hearts.
It is a day when the nation pays rich tribute to our Shuhada and Ghazis who remained steadfast while facing the challenge of defeating an adversary that enjoyed overwhelming numerical advantage. 2. The events of September 1965, serve as a reminder that our historic success was made possible because the nation and the armed forces rose to the occasion as an epitome of a united and disciplined entity. These events of September '65 saw the practical manifestation of the principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline given to us by the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
There is no doubt that our daring armed forces along with the courageous people of Pakistan defeated an aggressor, which was numerically three times superior. The Pakistan Air Force on this day created a saga of national pride and proved that no enemy can undermine its spirit to fight an aggressor under heavy odds. We salute the brave sons of the soil who embraced Shahadat, or returned with pride as Ghazis.
3. My Dear Countrymen! Presently, the menace of terrorism is disrupting our peace and harmony. While we honour the heroes of '65 War and commemorate supreme sacrifices of the nation, once again we need to dedicate ourselves to protect our country against the perils of terrorism. Pakistan Air Force as an organisation and its personnel as individuals, have committed themselves for this cause and have pledged to continue with utmost efforts until terrorism in all its manifestations is uprooted from the soil of our homeland.
4. The spirit of September 1965, demands us to draw strength from our Faith in Almighty Allah and prove ourselves worthy of the greatness that our predecessors have so adroitly achieved in the past. I assure you that Pakistan Air Force as the front line of defence is fully prepared to defend the aerial frontiers of our sacred motherland. May Allah Almighty grant us the strength and vision to withstand all the challenges and discharge our duties to the best of our abilities! Ameen.-PR