ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is marking the 60th Defence and Martyrs’ Day on September 6, with the country’s leadership paying tribute to fallen soldiers, war veterans, and their families. The annual commemoration recalls the 1965 war with India, when Pakistani forces repelled attacks across the border in what Islamabad remembers as a defining moment of unity and resilience.
In a message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the day is “etched in national memory as a symbol of valor, unity, and resolve”.
“6th September is etched in our national memory as a day of valor, unity, and resolve,” Sharif said, praising the armed forces for their “unmatched professionalism” and describing their actions as having “set new benchmarks of excellence, crushing the enemy’s arrogance with resolute strength”.
Sharif said Pakistan remains committed to peaceful coexistence and constructive engagement with the international community. At the same time, he cautioned that the country cannot ignore what he described as “persistent Indian provocations” and an increasingly complex regional environment.
He pledged that Pakistan would continue to modernise its defence capabilities while confronting what he termed “state-sponsored terrorism and foreign proxies” operating inside the country. He added that the armed forces and law enforcement agencies had made significant progress against militant groups, and vowed the nation would stand behind them until the mission was completed.
Military leaders echoed those sentiments, with the Inter-Services Public Relations, media wing of the Pakistan military, stressing that Pakistan’s sacrifices stand as a reminder that “a united nation can never be defeated”.
The commemorations this year also come just months after Pakistan and India engaged in their most serious confrontation in decades. In May 2025, both sides exchanged missiles, drones, and airstrikes in a clash that brought them to the brink of war. Pakistan declared May 10 as the “Day of Righteous Battle” to mark what it described as a successful defence against external aggression.
Sharif also used the occasion to reaffirm solidarity with the people of Indian-administered Kashmir and condemn Israeli actions in Gaza, urging the international community to uphold humanitarian principles. He linked national defence to economic stability, calling for unity at home to achieve “lasting prosperity and self-reliance”.
For Pakistan, Defence Day is both a remembrance of sacrifices made in 1965 and a reaffirmation of its commitment to stand firm against future threats — a message reinforced by recent events.
