World Vattern's Federation

Addressing the Assembly of Ex Service Men - World Vattern’s Federation conference in Germany

30 October - 01 November 1957

          Mr President and Fellow Veterans, it gives me a great pleasure to greet Veterans of the world on behalf of the veterans of the Pakistan. Our young State of Pakistan in tradition, history, and spirit, is not behind others. In speaking to you to-day, I represent millions of the Veterans of Pakistan who have seen and faced strife and storms in the battle field, deep seas and the blue sky. Memories crowd thick and fast when we remember our many comrades-in-arm who gave their all for their country, people and ideals. Remembrance, however, grief to us, it also means pride and confidence in ourselves. It does not merely evoke pictures from the pageantry of the history and the resurrection of pride in the doings of our ancestors, predecessors and even contemporaries in War, it also assures us that just as we did not fail our country and people in the past we shall not fail our state and nation nay to the call of Democracy to-day. There may perhaps will be war, bloodshed and misery as long as men inhabit the earth, for, the baser elements in mankind cannot be eradicated, by, any conceivable method, but to offset this humiliating and shameful failing, the better side of human nature, also, triumph in the bitterest hour of adversity. Hope courage and determinations have been some of the redeeming qualities which men have exhibited in difficult times.

          Whatever the political antecedent and background of men, he will always remain what he is, a social and political animal aspiring and striving for security and happiness, and what the Veterans of our days and yester years and indeed all times have done was to fight their wars and battle for peace. many of them have been disillusioned, for, the prospect of permanent peace seems to be receding into the background more and more with the passing of years, but the hope has vever, and will beaver die out from the human breast and armored by faith and hope, mankind today as before, pays by relentless vigilance, the price for  the eternal quest for peace.

          In Pakistan, I am proud to state, Democracy is held to be most efficacious method of achieving and maintaining peace and liberty which ultimately go to promote prosperity and happiness. The Islamic bases of the Pakistan State is itself sufficient proof, were it required to demos tract our deep reliance on the equality of men in al respects, and as such it is but natural, that we believe in the equal rights of mankind, organized in individual in individual State, to participate freely and equally in the good life, i.e., in the achievement of spiritual exaltation, intellectual greatness and mundane prosperity. We do not tend to under-estimate the importance f nay of these facets of the full life and we do not subscribe to any ideology, time matured or new fangled which seeks to foist by the sanction of force or indiscretion, the super imposing political, social, and cultural frame works, alient to and unwanted by Nations numerically, intellectually, politically or economically in comparatively inferior position. In other words, I would like to stress that if the fight to establish and perpetuate peace, new battles are to be fought, the combat will be bound to be between the forces of Democracy and authoritarianism.

          Veterans of the World as one of you, I feel that no one of us can rest his ars to-day. We have fought the good fight in the past but the future is yet to be fought and made safe. Let us hope, despite bitter disillusionment in the past  that mankind will not repeat the folly of the past, that peaceful persuasion should make for the global rule of reason and that our brothers and sons do not have to shed their blood at the call of armageddon. Mere hoping, however is not likely to carry us and our world much nearer to our desired pal, and every one has to do in the continues and incessant war for peace i.e., going on all around us. The root of want, misery and jealousy have to be dug out and removed for economic reason, as all will agree over the basic causes for uneasy state of affairs in our world today. Just as individual greed and jealousy arsion, out of such causes, in the International field also, International and inter-state bickering and strife are often similarly motivated. Other points and spheres of friction have to be traced and neutralized as far as possible.

          It is admitted that all the evils that beset and beleaguer mankind may not be eradicated totally by our efforts, but the very fight to wipe them out be-speaks of the indomitablity of the human will, and the burning faith of mankind in its exalted destiny. Let us therefore resolve on this day sacred to the memory of the brave fight, dear comrades, and cherished ideals to band together in all parts of the world to fight the evils of selfishness, greed, and power lust, and make the world free and safe for all men. It is neither the State alone nor the Government of the state which can mould policies in the arena of our modern world, although the interplay of kaleidoscopic act desires, and motives of State and Government have created round us a jungle of confusion and obscurity yet when we think about it coolly, dispassionately and determinedly, we find that in the democratic part of the world at least the basic component unit of the state and the nation is still the individual citizen. Therefore, right thinking, planning and action by him can still guide the policy of his state to the path of peace. amity, happiness. I do not propose to digress on the modes of winning the peace any further, but trust the native intelligence and goodwill of mankind will open before all those so desire various avenues leading towards that prized goal of our peace and contentment

          I am proud to conclude as a Pakistani veteran speaking on behalf of his fellow veterans in his country as well as the overwhelming mass of his compatriots that we in this part of the word re-affirm our faith in peace and happiness as realizable ambitions and also our resolve to work by all means to achieve this, thereby we hope to fulfill one of the ideals cherished by all.