It DOES make a difference. Its not just the fauj deployed defending the borders, they are doing a whole lot more, lots of instituitions are manned by the army. I can relate one example, E&ME college, part of NUST (National University of Pakistan), almost half the faculty consists of officers, so if they go on strike, students miss their classes. There are many such examples, in all fields, be it Fauji Foundation or jawans deployed at a post in Siachin.