ISLAMABAD: As the people of Pakistan observed the annual defense day on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the significance of a strong bond between the country’s military and people while saying anyone trying to drive a rift between them was not a friend of Pakistan.

Sharif’s statement came after his political rival and former premier Imran Khan was accused of making “defamatory” remarks about the army’s top brass during a recent public rally in Faisalabad.

The country’s army also reacted to Khan’s statement which related to the appointment of the army chief, saying it was regrettable that senior politicians were surrounding the subject with unnecessary controversy.

Pakistan observes September 6 as defense day to honor the sacrifices of its armed forces in a war fought with India in 1965.

PM Sharif said in his message that September 6 reminded the nation of the courage displayed by its soldiers in the war between the two South Asian rivals.

“As Pakistan grapples with the historic floods & other challenges, we need to summon the spirit of 1965,” he said in a Twitter post to mark the occasion. “National unity is our greatest strength. Anyone intending to hurt the bond between our armed forces & people is not a friend of Pakistan. Let us fortify this bond of One Nation.”

In a statement released by his office, the prime minister said Pakistani armed forces proved to the world on September 6 many decades ago that they were prepared to defend every inch of the country.

“We owe great respect to the parents and families of [martyrs] who courageously bore the loss of their near and dear ones,” he added.

The country’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while defending Pakistan, saying: “We owe our freedom & peace to unprecedented sacrifices of martyrs [to] keep the flag high.”