WHILE Pakistan’s armed forces showcased their mettle on the frontlines and deterred the adversary with unwavering resolve, there remains a crucial question that has to be addressed: how can the citizens defend their turf when the chips are down?

The recent spectacle of missile launches highlighted the need for people to be battle-ready. The buck does not stop at the military’s doorstep; people must be trained and equipped to hold the fort, if and when needed, taking control of their own security.

Initiatives like the National Cadet Corps (NCC) once provided a valuable training platform, arming the students with basic defence skills, and teaching them to shoot straight.

However, this programme was folded back for no good reason. Reviving NCC or similar training programmes is crucial in today’s volatile world order, where threats lurk around every possible nook and corner.

By imparting self-defence skills to the people, particularly the youth, we can bolster national resilience, and create a united front, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in times of adversity.

Urban populations, often soft targets, would greatly benefit from such training, and they will be able to use such skills in tricky times.

A multipronged approach is necessary to revive NCC or similar training prog-rammes. It is imperative to get the citizens battle-ready, deliver lectures and work-shops on defence strategies, sharpen their tactical acumen, and provide them physical training so that they may take charge and defend their ground when needed.

By empowering citizens with worthy defence skills, we can foster a culture of preparedness and self-reliance, ultimately fortifying national defence.

It is high time the authorities seriously considered initiating trainings to equip the people for the challenges ahead, ensuring they are not caught off-guard.

Riaz Ali Panhwar
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2025