To mark Pakistan Day, the country’s armed forced staged their annual military parade before foreign dignitaries in Islamabad for the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Pakistan Day commemorates the Lahore Resolution, which was signed on March 23, 1940, in which the All-India Muslim league demanded a separate nation for the Muslims of the British Empire.
The celebration began with a 31-gun salute at the federal capital, and 21-gun salutes in the provincial capitals.
During the grand military parade in Islamabad, three contingents of the armed forces marches as Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets conducted aerial displays overhead. After, PAF and Navy parachutes fell from 10,000 in an inspiring display.
Floats from each province followed the PAF’s show, including for the first time, a float from Jammu and Kashmir.
In attendance were Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi, the three services chiefs, federal ministers and officials and foreign ministers of 57 Muslim countries participating in the OIC. Troops from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also participated in the parade.
During the prime minister’s address to the nation, he said “We need to adhere to the principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline given by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and rededicate ourselves to develop Pakistan as a truly democratic welfare state on the model of Riyasat-i-Madina. On this day, it is pertinent to reflect upon the challenges confronting us as a nation.”
