- Advertisement -
By Muhammad Ali Otho
ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): The entire nation on Thursday celebrated its 79th Independence Day on August 14 across the country and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) with national zeal and enthusiasm with a renewed pledge to work with spirit of Pakistan Movement to make country a true Islamic welfare state.
The day dawned with thirty-one gun salute at the Federal Capital and twenty-one gun salutes at provincial headquarters.
Special prayers were offered in mosques for peace, solidarity, and prosperity of the country. The main flag hoisting ceremony was held at Pakistan Monument where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hoisted the national flag.
President Asif Ali Zardari said that nation celebrated the Independence Day with a sense of renewed pride and hope as recently the nation had reaffirmed its strength, resolve, and unity in the face of external aggression.
“Our success in Marka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos is a landmark moment in our history. It was a demonstration of unshakable national will, professional excellence, and united purpose,” the president said.
The president conferred military awards on officers, soldiers of armed forces for their conspicuous courage and supreme sacrifice rendered during Operation “Bunyan-Um-Marsoos. The military awards included eight Sitara-i-Jurat, five Tamgha-i-Jurat, 24 Sitara-i-Basalat, 45 Tamgha-i-Basalat, 146 Imtiazi Asnad, 259 COAS Commendation Cards and one Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military).
President Zardari conferred prestigious national awards to federal ministers, civil servants, armed forces personnel, journalists, and other civilians, in recognition of their extraordinary valor, courage, and respective contributions during the Marka-e-Haq Operation Bunyan-Um-Marsoos.
The civil and military awards were conferred at a special investiture ceremony, held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on the occasion of the Independence Day
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif extended his sincere invitation to all political parties and segments of the society to join hands with them in strengthening their resolve to safeguard the national interests. “In this way, we can untidily and collectively make our nation successful and prosper to help realize the dream of our forefathers and martyrs, which they had envisioned in the form of establishment of Pakistan.”
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Governor Kamran Khan Tessori paid a visit to the mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on Independence Day Ma’arka-e-Haq. The governor laid a floral wreath at the grave of Quaid-i-Azam and offered fatiha. They hoisted the national flag at mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan.
An impressive change of guard ceremony was held at mausoleum of ‘Muffakir-e-Pakistan’ Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
Acting Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also visited Iqbal’s mausoleum and laid wreath, adding he offered Fateha and recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book.
A dignified flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Governor House, Peshawar, on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day, with Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi performing the flag hoisting.
The Sindh Government’s Sports Department organized the “Marka-e-Haq MM Alam Cycle Rally” on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, with support from the Crown Group. The rally started from the Youth Development Center of the Sports Department at PIDC and concluded at the Mazar-i-Quaid via the Saddar route.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) marked the nation’s Independence Day with flag hoisting ceremonies at airports across the country, which the main ceremony held at the PAA Headquarters and a large number of PAA officers and staff were present, along with children dressed in national colors waving flags, as patriotic songs played in the background.
The main event took place at Chinar Bagh, where Gilgit-Baltistan Minister for Home Affairs Shams Lone hoisted the national flag, laid floral wreaths at the Martyrs’ Monument and offered fateha.