By Farzeen Rana
Every day we wake up and start our daily chore. In our daily routine have we ever thought that we are about to be attacked by a foreign enemy, the neighboring hostilities are threatening our peace and existence. We are not likely to have such convictions. Pakistan military is the reason we live our lives out of the precarious thoughts. Soldiers of Pakistan military are protecting us from every end land, water, and air. They spend their lives on the borders to safe guard the civilians like us
Life of a soldier is not as facile as we anticipate. They live under strict ethics and regulations. A child would enter the military as a cadet, the struggle starts right away. At first they get a new hair cut like all other army men, they are given their uniform and an informal dress which they wear at the supper times. When a cadet is recruited he is considered as a freshman who does not know much about the ethics. Special dinner nights and supper nights are arranged for the soldiers to train them how to eat properly, how to use the cutlery, how the food is properly served, how to sit in formal dinners, and how to talk to other officers.
The life of a soldier goes in a tough schedule where they have to balance their academic and military training separately. Their day starts with physical training (PT), academic classes, parade, games, and military exercises, mess timings are to be followed properly. In addition to the already tiresome routine punishments are also added. Whenever a soldier is caught for wrong doing he is asked to shout his number, the numbers which are used for their recognition instead of their names. All of those under punishment have to do extra punishment parade.
Apart from all the difficult times they go through, they also enjoy some privileges for instance the honor paid at dinner, soldiers can take anything they want to eat , no food keeper stands there. All they have to do is make a chit of the food items they have taken. A soldier gets recruited as a cadet and runs through a number of Ranks from Handiwaal(freshman) to Ustad, from Sahib to battalion Hawaldaar major, from a junior to a senior. The cadets share a special bond with each other because they all have the same spirit for their country, they face similar difficulties. Cadets call each other as Buddies and Bros.
Entering the unit finally is one of the most contended times. A soldier becomes second lieutenant. There is a famous prank which is experienced by all of the army men. A bet man is given to the second lieutenants. The senior officers such as captains mostly dress up as the bet men, they make fun of the second lieutenants, take their money, and when they ask for the money or become harsh with the bet men they show them who they really are. This prank has been going on from years. The ranks of the soldiers keep up grading with the struggle they do for the country and people living in it.
Every morning and evening the surroundings roar with the slogans of Allah hu. The slogan which gives them strength to fight with every fear. To wipe out all the enemies who dared to put a bad eye on our beloved country. The slogan which unites all of us. Soldiers expend all of their lives for us, living on the borders under the naked sky, fighting the wars, protecting the civilians, spending every last drop of their blood for country and its defense.. May all of them be under the protection of Allah . May Pakistan prevail till the end of time.
Published in Young Nation on 05-Sep-2015
