ISLAMABAD: The 78th Pakistan Day was celebrated with an impressive military parade in Shakarparian ground of Islamabad on Friday.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was the guest of honor at the event. President Mamnoon Hussain was received by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after which he inspected the military parade. Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, then led a fly-past, followed by several other squadrons of the Pakistan Air Force as a salute to the head of the state.
In his speech, President Mamnoon Hussain praised the country’s people and armed forces for their resolve. Later, the armed forces began the parade, saluting the chief guests as they passed by.
They included various units and formations of the armed forces. Armed forces of Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Jordan also participated in the military parade. PAF fighter jets conducted fly-pasts with breath-taking maneuvers, wowing the audience. In the end, commandos from the tri-services conducted a para-drop with exemplary skills after which a national song was performed.
Defense Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan Safron Minister Abdul Qadir Khan and the heads of all three armed forces of the country including army, navy and air force as well as the joint chiefs’ chairperson were present at the parade. An award ceremony is also on the agenda for later in the day, to be held at Aiwan-e-Sadar, where the president will be conferring awards to various personalities on their contribution to different fields.
The day dawned with 31- and 21-gun salutes in the federal and provincial capitals, respectively, while the national flag was hoisted atop government buildings and departments. Several buildings, including the Lahore Railway Station, WAPDA House, and the Provincial Assembly building, would be decorated with lights and colorful buntings to mark the day.