Nation commemorates 54th Defence Day

Main ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1965 war was held at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi


Our Correspondent September 06, 2019
54th Defence Day at GHQ (Photo: ISPR)

ISLAMABAD: The nation is commemorating the 54th Defence and Martyrs Day on Friday with traditional fervour and solemnity across the country.

 

The main ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1965 war was held at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and a floral wreath was laid at the martyr's by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army presented the guard of honour.

The day is also being observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day to reaffirm the country's support to the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir who have been under lockdown for over a month now.

The day dawned with a thirty-one gun salute in the federal capital and twenty-one gun salutes in provincial capitals.

Special prayers were offered after dawn prayers for the prosperity of the country and the independence of occupied Kashmir.

A change of guard ceremony was also held at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi this morning.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force Asghar Khan Academy assumed the guard duties. Air-Vice Marshal Hamid Rashid laid floral wreath on Mazar and offered Fateha.

Major General Mohammad Aamir laid a floral wreath at the grave of national poet Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal.

 

In his message to the nation on Defence Day, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said Pakistan holds in great esteem the bravery of its warriors and is profoundly indebted to all martyrs for carving a niche in the history of Pakistan.

“They are the real heroes and the entire nation pays huge respect to them and their families. Pakistan is a peaceful and responsible nuclear state. It harbours no aggressive ambition,” he said.

He also added that the armed forces were fully capable of defeating any kind of adventurism from external or internal elements.

"They can go to any extent in defending their motherland, its integrity and independence,” he maintained.

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