Thursday 4 June 2009

I SPY: The Light with a Voice - Sadaf Zarrar

Islamabad: As the sun set on Islamabad on 3rd June 2009, all wasn’t dark. Candle by Candle, over a hundred bearers of light got together in front of the constitution avenue and brought radiance to what could have been a dark night.

The event aptly titled ‘The Green Ribbon Vigil’ was organized by a group of local citizens who in their words ‘felt the need to mobilize the citizens of this country, show all our security forces including the Armed Forces, the Police and the paramilitary forces that we are with them and remember all those innocent victims who had lost their lives in various terror attacks’.

The gathering consisted of an array of people from various walks of life, and while some of them had relatives in the forces, most were there only owing to deep rooted patriotism. What started around 7pm as a nervous gathering of 20 odd people ended at around 9.30pm with over 120 euphoric citizens who chanted slogans of patriotism and sang patriotic songs.
The gathering consisted of an array of people from various walks of life, and while some of them had relatives in the forces, most were there only owing to deep rooted patriotism.
The highlight of the event however remained participation of Lt Omer who is a veteran of war against terror and extremism in Swat and Tribal areas. The Lieutenant who was supported by crutches owing to his war wounds spoke in a personal capacity and said that gatherings such as these would raise the morale of the troops and that it is time for the country to stand together and fight against this menace together… the Soldiers with guns and The citizens in spirit.
It is time for the country to stand together and fight against this menace together… the Soldiers with guns and The citizens in spirit.
Father of Captain Jonaid Shaheed from SSG was also present at this gathering and was given an honorary salute by all participants of the gathering for the great sacrifice his son had given.

Speeches by Capt Jonaid Shaheed’s father, Lt Omer and a family friend of Capt Waqqas Zamir Shaheed brought the whole crowd to an emotional silence and the teary eyed participants remained in awe of the great sacrifices the sons of this soil are giving for the safety and protection of this country and its people from foreign funded barbarians.

A moment of silence and prayer was observed towards the end of the peaceful gathering in remembrance of the Martyrs and the innocent victims of terror attacks and slogans were chanted towards the end to show solidarity with the Military and paramilitary forces.
‘We were 20 the last time we got together and today we’re over 120 in this gathering we will be even more next time, the youth is waking up… Pakistan is Rising… again’
The participants of the gathering vowed to not bow to terrorism. ‘We were 20 the last time we got together and today we’re over 120 in this gathering we will be even more next time, the youth is waking up… Pakistan is Rising… again’ said one of the volunteers organizing this gathering.



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1 comment:

  1. That was beautifully written.. well done Sadaf and the whole lot of you.. I wish I could have been there to physically take part in the vigil but I was certainly there in spirit.. Pakistan Zindabad and God bless the Shaheeds.. Mehreena

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