11/05/2025
Dear Pakistani moms. (Addressing entire civilian strata here.)
How many of you would like to send your physically thriving and intellectual 20 year old sons to the LOC (line of control) in return for a DHA plot? Though cheaper, but would be on installments over a span of a decade. While your son's salary won't be an equivalent to that of a LUMS' graduate, but your son's prospective family (provided he returns from the missions) would be able to meet both ends meet fairly, decently.
After 25+ years of a blemish-free service, if your son survives Siachin, Wana and Wazirstan tenures, he would be given a driver and a staff car, that his spouse can also enjoy, but by that time his spouse must have the nerves to battle all the lows of life, alone, without even appearing lonely because that's how, we, the military wives, support our husbands.
Be it an ailment, bed-rest, child birth or a miscarriage, in the military world, we use a specific term for annual-leave, and it's called: "P-leave".
The term "P-leave" is a reminder that *leave is a privilege, not a soldier's right*. I have been reminded of this P-leave concept, uncountable times by my husband, during a tons of lows in my life, that I was compelled to battle all alone. But yeah, us, the military spouses do have the provision to weep, cry and heal alone, with the psychologist at the nearest CMH.
Also I wish to ask all civilian wives here if they would opt to send their husbands on flying expeditions across the border? You will get a chance to enjoy living in the cantonments. While your husband is away, you can enjoy the barbeques at the nearest mess. Not to mention, when your heart sinks, you can enjoy the nearest golf course at a cheap membership fee.
If you prefer the Navy, then pls come prepared for any *suicidal missions*. Never heard of that? Go, see the tiny submarines/displays in the Navy museum and you would have an idea.
Also to girls who wish to marry soldiers, pls remain informed that you will not receive any training for psychological and physical well being, as your spouse, and despite your hormones, you gotta be skilled enough to read the sensitivity of the mission, your husband is being deployed to, once your husband wears his *metalic-ID* which serves the purpose of identifying the bodies of "shohadaa". (Picture attached).
If you don't have the heart for such farewells, and you slept in peace last night, please know it was by virtue of some sleepless mothers and spouses. Please know they don't ask you for anything but prayers. And if anything, please don't thrash them sarcastically about the DHA plot or staff car ever.
Had it not been for something really sublime, they would give away those provisions and hold their sons and husbands close.
You would know that heart clenching feeling only if you've ever seen your husband wear his metallic ID. While you all mark your husband's return on the calendars, the military wives remain clueless whether the farewell is for days, weeks, months or eternal.
May God protect the guardians of the Ummah. And may we, never belittle our men in armour in any way, ever again. And may we be smart enough to know that the enemy across the border celebrates our divides — may there be none, ever.
