"Who has suffered? The families of the dead, no doubt. But a greater loss was inflicted on Pakistan because, as I said, we lost the pillars of our society"

Pervez Musharraf's quote speaks to the catastrophe of the death in Pakistan. He acknowledges the suffering of the families of the dead, however stresses that the greater loss was caused on the country as a whole. He explains that the dead were the "pillars of society," meaning that they were individuals who held up the nation and kept it operating. Without them, the country has actually been deteriorated and destabilized. The quote talks to the significance of individuals who have been lost, and the impact their deaths have had on the country. It likewise serves as a suggestion of the fragility of life and the importance of valuing those we have while we still can.