Beyond the boundaries: From where the perennial defense starts It was one monotonous day deluged with mundane university pursuits followed by conventional lectures along with periodic class discussions. As a testament to the unpredictability of life, that ostensibly tedious day came up with the confirmation news of my excursion towards the exotic yet astonishing lands that devise Pakistan’s defense mechanism. My adventurous nature got a chance to discover the anonymous pillars of Pakistan’s defense after approval of my participation in 3rd national harmony workshop. The official visits of workshop included an official tour of Pakistan ordinance factory, Heavy industries and Pakistan aeronautical complex. The journey towards these high-profile sensitive areas started early in the morning. The faces of participants were sparkling with anticipation, excitement and enduring urge to unlock new realities. The engine of my brain was pedaling fast to connect the past with the present for the purpose of carving out a rational analysis of future. From primitive times to modern industrial era, the impulse of Sapiens for a credible defense system against their fellow sapiens remain a dire necessity. All these extravagant steps towards the defense costs Pakistan a huge amount, but still it has to follow that course due to the fear that a Homo-Sapien, a nation, an individual country perceive from their counterparts. That’s the reality and we have to tailor ourselves accordingly for survival. Moving on, our first destination point was heavy Industries, Taxila. The staff excitedly welcomed us. The journey was long enough to build a convivial friendship with divergent variety of people. I rushed towards the conference hall with my friends in an array of laughter and enthusiasm. After a brief introduction of Pakistan’s conventional weapons, we were accompanied to the factory sites where weapons are assembled, developed and refined. We were astonished to discover the comprehensive stages of production that a simple army tank goes through. It is a combined effort of distinct diligent hands with discrete roles that exemplified the intrinsic value of teamwork crucial to do the job right the very first time. The engineers at the site briefed us about their working mechanism. Lastly, the armed personnel announced a “tank trip” for us. While sitting on a running tank, I just walked in the shoes of a soldier, the existential threat that a soldier experience while sitting on that seat haunted me and reinvigorated the horrific memories of human imposed catastrophe imprinted firmly upon the pages of history. The feelings of my mates were apparently quite different, requesting me to take their phenomenal photographs in a classic Titanic pose. With that call, I just switch myself back into the present, as our past is a lesson to learn not a place to live forever. With that present-past reality check in my mind, our coaster headed towards the Pakistan ordinance factory, the largest state-owned defense manufacturer in Pakistan. Firstly, we were accompanied towards the POF museum that had guns of various models. All these weaponries showcased the capabilities of skilled human hands. Later on, we headed towards the weapons production and assembling section. There, the working labors were contended to observe appreciation and feeling of recognition in our eyes towards their hard-work. As recognition and positive appreciation motivates people to accomplish impossible tasks in a constructive manner. Spread positivity and love as its worth doing and doesn’t even cost a penny. With that positive zeal, we restart our journey towards the Pakistan aeronautical complex. PAC represents marvel of human intellect. We met young experienced captains who know the art of coping with sky and flying high with winds like a bird. We also got a chance to observe and relax on JF 17s and other fighter jets. People grabbed the plane’s cockpit and their glittering faces like chandeliers illustrated the human innocence and their excitement about this wholesome experience. It just makes me smile and a camera click captured that innocent moment. That astonishing day is now a chapter of history. That trip enables me to decipher the reality that human intellect can either transform our universe into a heaven or destroy it altogether. But, human preparedness against self-perceived threats (from other states or humans) will remain an inevitable reality.