Duty on Eid-A Pakistani Soldier’s story!

Fahad Malik

Everyone is preparing for Eid. Eid-ul-Azha is now very close. Muslims all around the world are gathering to Makkah, for their Hajj, those who are selected by God, to visit his home. And those who were away and those who were not invited to Makkah, all are planning to visit their families, and go back to their homes. But the luxury of spending their Eids with families is for all except Us! Yes, I am a soldier who is deployed at NWA in ZarbEAzb, and this is going to be my second Eid without my family and away from home.

                  I am married, Happily married indeed, and now we have a 2 year old son, though I didn’t see him from last 6 months. Married, two years ago, and I had just two Eids with my family. Two with Family, and two without family. Whenever, it is such an occasion, and I am not home, I just spend my day in reminding myself those days, those occasions I spent with my family in the comfort of my home. Kitchen was the favorite place for me, where my wife and my mother were busy in preparing Haleem, Kheer, and Kabab’s, Tikka’s in case of Bari Eid.

                  Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated in remembrance of the great sacrifice by Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH), but with the progression of time, the essence of that sacrifice seems to have gotten lost. Yes, we forgot what Sunnat-e-Ibrahimi was, but right now, keeping the debate of Qurabani-becoming-fashion aside, I am talking about the Sacrifices, we have forgotten. Yes, The sacrifice of staying away from your own family to keep the rest of the country safe. The sacrifice of staying in camouflage all the day, when the rest of the country is busy in wearing new dresses. The sacrifice of bearing hundreds of bullets on your chest, when the rest of the country is busy in eating chest pieces? Those who are sitting on borders, those like me who are sitting in the hard areas, in the operating areas, on the Eid days, why do people forget them? Why not a single word about them, who postpone their Eid Leaves just to stay on duty?

                  Neither your politicians, nor your parliamentarians, sacrifice their sleep for your safety. It’s a soldier, who stays awake, to let you sleep peacefully. It’s a soldier, who shows selfless duty on these national “holidays”, just to make your holiday safe! When I was at PMA, my drill sergeant taught me, that there is not a single holiday for a soldier. I always thought that he is joking. But now, when I am here in the open sun, where we have terrorists around, now I believe that there is literally not a single holiday for a soldier. There are hundreds of Us, who are here in ZarbEAzb, and on Line of control, and on borders, but no one remembers them. Those who risk their lives in the treacherous mountains away from their families, they are the unsung heroes! This Eid, do remember them!

-Fahad Malik