ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan People’s Party chief Bi­lawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday said that the nation was united to defend the motherland.

He termed September 6 a metaphor for Pakistan’s nation­al courage and bravery and said that the nation is united and al­ways ready to defend its home­land. In a Defence Day message, he saluted the armed forces for their bravery and sacrifices. He has also paid glowing tribute to the families of the martyrs of the armed forces for their cour­age and patience. Bilawal said it was a matter of pride for him that the performance of PPP leadership and its governments in the defense of the country has been historic and wonderful.

He reminded that laying the foundations of the nuclear pro­gram to make the defense of the country impregnable was a strategic gift of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to the nation, adding that Bena­zir Bhutto further in­novated and strength­ened the defense of the home­land by giv­ing the gift of missile technolo­gy to armed forces. “After Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, (former) President Asif Ali Zardari was the second head of the country, who paid tribute to the soldiers for their great ser­vice on behalf of the entire na­tion by increasing the salaries of the armed forces by more than 100 percent,| he added. The PPP Chairman reiterated his party’s commitment to con­tinue political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people till the independence of Occupied Kashmir from India. “Kashmir is the aorta of Paki­stan and Kashmiris will con­tinue their struggle to achieve their destination,” he contend­ed. He said the PPP was deter­mined to crush the ambitions of Pakistan’s enemies and con­tinue to play its full role for the security and upliftment of the country. “By giving the nation a nuclear program and missile technology, the PPP has made the country’s defenses impreg­nable, and now it is determined to usher in a new era of ‘Made in Pakistan’ in the world, by eradicating inflation and pov­erty,” he maintained.