Islamabad: Defence and Martyrs Day was observed on Sunday to pay tribute to the martyrs and Ghazis and reaffirm commitment to defending the motherland against all threats. It was on this day in 1965 that Indian forces crossed the international border in the darkness of night to attack Pakistan, but the nation foiled the nefarious designs of the enemy.
According to Radio Pakistan, the day dawned with a thirty-one-gun salute at the Federal Capital and a twenty-one-gun salute at the provincial capitals. Special prayers were offered after Fajr in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country and the independence of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Radio Pakistan broadcast special programmes to pay tribute to the defenders of the motherland. A simple but graceful Guard of Honour ceremony was held at Mazar-e-Iqbal in Lahore, where a smart contingent of Pakistan Rangers Punjab presented the Guard of Honour. Corps Commander Lahore, Lieutenant General Syed Fayyaz Hussain Shah, laid a floral wreath at Allama Iqbal's grave and offered Fateha.
A special ceremony was also held at the mazar of Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, in Lahore. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a guard of honour and paid a salute to the national hero. In Multan, a smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a salute at the Martyrs' Memorial. Commander Southern Command laid a floral wreath and offered Fateha.
Ceremonies were also held in Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, and Gujranwala, where smartly turned-out contingents of the Pakistan Army presented salutes and laid floral wreaths at the Martyrs' Memorials. A dignified change-of-Guard ceremony was held at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi. A smartly turned-out contingent comprising seventy-two cadets, including eight female cadets, from Pakistan Air Force Academy Asghar Khan assumed guard duties at the mausoleum.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Chief Minister and Corps Commander Karachi laid floral wreaths at the Martyrs' Monument, offered Fateha, and prayed for the departed souls. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a guard of honour at the Martyrs' Monument. Defence and Martyrs Day ceremonies were also held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to pay tribute to the martyrs and Ghazis of the Pakistan Army.
A dignified ceremony in this regard was held at the Martyrs' Memorial in Peshawar, which was attended by senior military officers, civil administration officials, soldiers, and other dignitaries. Senior military officers laid floral wreaths at the memorial and offered prayers for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army also presented a salute at the memorial.
In Balochistan, the central ceremony was held in Quetta, attended by the Governor and Chief Minister of Balochistan, Corps Commander, and other senior civil and military officials. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a salute at the Martyrs' Monument. Civil and military officials laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha to pay tribute to the martyrs. The Frontier Corps Balochistan also organized a ceremony to pay tribute to the martyrs and acknowledge their supreme sacrifices. People across Balochistan expressed their love for the motherland and paid rich tribute to the great sacrifices rendered by the martyrs in defence of Pakistan.
Defence and Martyrs Day was also observed today in all districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. In this regard, special events were organized. In Gilgit, military equipment has been displayed during a special exhibition at Wahab Shaheed Polo Ground. A dignified ceremony was held at the Martyrs' Memorial in Muzaffarabad. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a guard of honour at the memorial. The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, along with senior military and civil officials, visited the Martyrs' Memorial. The AJK Prime Minister laid a floral wreath at the memorial and offered Fateha. The visitors also prayed for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir and for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs.
